Book 1: Howling And Hissing, How Wonderful
by LadyGrimR
Summary: Completely Editted:! Alyson Porter moves to Forks and Forks will never, ever be the same. Vampires and Werewolves? So? Alyson takes these things in stride and deals some out in return. OC. Pairings? Blah find out in the story. Alyson is Bella's foil.
1. Chapter 1

My heart raced as I sprinted through the hallways of the empty school at 50% speed, though it was pretty fast. My mind was racing mall at top speed, almost laughing in delight would it not be for the 6 foot guy chasing me.

Let me explain.

_**Flashback: **_

I had decided to go late night car racing with my buddies. I was the only girl in this group of guys with the balls to get into a perfectly harmless car and race the fuck out of it and win jackpots. Dangerous? Fuck yes. Illegal? Hell yeah. Fun? You fucking bet.

I had two different outfits each in several different colors. I had a cheer leading uniform, though it wasn't an actual uniform, it was a halter top of solid color that bore my midriff paired with tight pants of the matching color, and all white, sparkling tennis shoes. I raced in my other uniform, an almost NASCAR-like jumpsuit, the kind that Pitt Girls wear, but I'm definitely not a Pit Girl, I tear up a car. Hehe.

My mom never knew why I brought several colors of halters, pants, and leather jumpsuits.

I slipped on the white halter and pants, sliding on the tennis shoes, and tied my very thick and long dreadlocks up into a tight bun and putting a cap over it.

Sitting in my desk chair, I pack a lock pick set, a small flash light, and other small accessories into a belt. Tying my belt around my waist, I silently cross my room and open my window. Climbing out carefully, I drop down to the grass, since my room was on the ground floor, and creep quietly into the garage. Uncovering a form in the back of the garage, I wheel my silent black motorcycle out the garage, grabbing my helmet. I stare up at the South Carolina night and throw my leg over my baby, my bike. Pulling on my helmet, I rev the engine and smirk to myself.

It's time to roll.

_**End Flashback**_

This leads me to here, being chased by a policeman with several of my idiot and drunk buddies stumbling along behind laughing their asses off.

Yeah, I was 15 while most of the others were 18+. Not a huge age gap, plus they fucking act like little kids. Speaking of, one of them tripped on his feet and went sprawling. I would have continued running, but this idiot was screaming even if he was drunk. Screaming in pain.

" OH MY FUCKING GOD, MY FUCKING ANKLE. ALYSON I FUCKING BROKE MY ANKLE, OH MY GOD THIS SHIT HURTS, ALLYSON WITH YOUR FINE ASS, KISS IT BETTER FOR ME?"

Now I would have definitely fucking stepped all over his 'broken' ankle, but the thing was even when he was drunk and screaming this shit, his pain sounded for real. I doubled back and heaved him over my shoulder. No, I'm not that strong, I'll probably be regretting this in the morning, but adrenaline does wonderous things to the human body.

All the other idiots were probably long gone, but Mr. Policeman was very much so catching up, and quickly too. I was slowed down, to a job, with heavy idiot on me, but I was very much so outrunning dude until I came to a dead end, and I let out a curse and turned my back to the wall, the idiot asking why I stopped.

I hushed him as the policeman shined his very bright ass light in my face and spoke into his radio.

"Can't run anywhere now little girl, please put your hands where I can see them. You have the right to remain silent, and anything you say may and will be used against you in court?" He approaches cautiously.

I really didn't see a way out of this, fuck, I'm so screwed this will so be on my public record.. until

" Aly, girl you have to run, you have the brightest future in SC, you need to run." Idiot turned Brandon whispered in my ear.

I whimpered at him one of my arms raised. " But what about you?"

"Girl, I already have a record, what's one more charge of illegal racing going to do? Girl I can afford the attorney's and shit."

" But they will get you for resisting..."

" That can be cleared up as well, girl, just go! Put me down and act the part of caught."

" A..are you sure?" I slowly stared at the officer, fear shooting through me as his gun was out.

" Definitely, whatever happens, remember that we love you like family, girly." He suddenly cried out loudly, and drunk. " OFFICER... Oh gawd, Officer... I think I ..I think I fucking broke my ankle... oh my god it hurts so bad.. please officer.. you have to call an ambulance!"

Suddenly the gun went off, and I cried out, only to stumble back in shock, a burning sensation registering in my mind before a thud was heard.

Fuck... this was my favorite color...

"GO! Officer! Go get the ambulance.. oh my god, I'm so sorry Officer, I'm so drunk.. but I'm 21! And, and my ANKLE oh my god my "

That was definitely my cue and I sprinted past them, letting out a small sob as I ran the way we came, yes, towards the car garage where the police squad came and busted us. My bike was there and that hunk of metal is MY hunk of metal.

I was creeping around the flashing lights of several police vehicles, stupidly left to just sit here some with keys in ignitions I saw when I heard the radio of one ring out very clearly.

It fizzled into the air, stopping me in my tracks.

"We have some gang activity on 21st and Queens. There is a long list of names including ..."

It was fizzling, but one thing suddenly rang clear, and made my heart jump to my throat.

" Susan Porter married to Mark Porter... Marik and Alyson Porter biological and adopted son and daughter of said couple wanted dead and unrecognizeable" and the policeman again rattled off more names from the list that he probably found somewhere.

A sob once again tore through my throat as I spot my bike and fucking hitting 100 mph going down the street. The bullet graze on my side was not as important to 4 people's lives.

I get home in less than five minutes allowing the bike to fall on it's side in the grass and bolted into the house. I dash into my mom's room and bust the door open. Pulling off my hair bonnet, I was met with surprised and shocked faces.

"We need to leave this house, NOW!" I release a very loud sob, once again, and turn on my heel.

Shaking out my locks, I drop to my knees and pull out several suitcases ignoring the catch in my side. I suddenly see my parents in front of me, my brother was yanking me up from the floor and slapped me in the face, softly, yet firmly enough to wake me from my hysteria.

I look back to my parents, realization finally dawning over me. My eyes lower as I whisper barely loud enough. "We need to talk…" Not even aware of the tears running down my face until now.

While I absentmindedly hold my side, I whisper."It looks like we are all targets of some gang or something. And they want to KILL us." I pivot to stare at them, "and for some reason, too."

"I'll explain what I do, after you explain what you guys do." I state coldly, sitting on top of the safe.

And for the next two and a half hours (with me tapping my watch every few minutes), they've been telling me that they run an underground market for protection programs, body guards, and everything along those lines. It didn't surprise me that I'm adopted; I've been noticing that my brother, well my adopted brother has began to look at me differently. Ever since I've developed and had a growth spurt, well, more than one type of growth spurt. The also told me that they've never had to relocate.

And so, I told them about my late night escapades, they got very pissed off until I said that I don't screw around... with humans. I told them about my martial arts, the reasoning behind the self defense which I didn't go into too much detail in, I barely held back a shudder, weapons training, my motorcycle, and my racing. I did show them the contents of my safe: two silver laptops that the government doesn't even have them, because I built them, a whole box of hand guns and extra magazines. Sometimes a girl had to have some things in her back pocket to defend herself with.

I see my parents let out sighs of relief. They must have been holding this in forever. I grab my mom's hand: "I think it's best for us to leave this house, actually leave the state to go to a tucked away place." I stand up staring at the world map hanging on the entire surface of one of my walls.

Why the parents chose the next city, I pack my room up. Filling my suitcases, I warily watch my parents, trying to hear what exactly they're saying. Using all my suitcases and large handbags, I pack away my clothes, the laptops in separate traveling cases, giving one to Malik, lock my safe and put it in a box along with my other things. Yes, I have a lot of things.

Leaning against the door to my parents' room, I watch them. "One more thing: we have an extra car besides my bike." They look up and I smile innocently while pulling out a grenade.

"You might want to pack more quickly." I look at my watch, carrying all my bags out to my car, uncovering the camouflage and placing all my bags behind the front seat. I find the keys and pull the car in front of the open garage door. Hurrying towards my bike, I roll it out and secure it to the trunk of the a tan-ish Toyota Corolla. The Toyota I renovated from a junk yard, looks pretty good. I figured, since I don't have a license yet, that my brother would drive. I see Malik as I pass him to go into the house and I throw him the keys, rolling my eyes as he stares at it.

I shout into the house. "It is 4:30; I want to be out of here by sunrise!" I set the grenade under the stove, and hopefully it would destroy the entire house...

And half an hour later, a large explosion rocked the car as we sped off to the west heading towards a small, rainy place called Forks, Washington. Looking out the window, I sigh heavily. _Here we come…._

_**PRESENT:**_

Mmmm, yeah since I didn't really remember my injury until we got to where we were going, my parents and brother freaked the fuck out when I passed out from blood loss, me hiding it for so long was amazing. I had awakened in a hospital somewhere in Washington, the state. Yeah, needles are very freaky looking in the hands of the palest man I've ever seen, with hair I'd love to run my hands through and coo over. Doctor Hottie bandaged me up, and gave me lots and lots of painkillers because apparently this type of graze would hurt very bad.

Anyways.

We had left in the beginning of winter after my first semester of junior year of high school, I had to enroll in the local public school. We had concealed our identity well; my parents were still running their business with one of the lap tops; I had applied for a job, at the local hospital as a secretary, and I actually get my own office! Isn't that totally COOL? They were quite excited to hire me, seeing as I look scholarly and I can type. They pay quite well for being a minor, 7.50 an hour, four hours a day, four days a week, certainly isn't minimum wage. I was hired that very day. Mainly because I pulled off the wounded puppy look so very well while being drugged up.

Surprisingly we moved in the exact day that a girl moved in with her father. My parents invited them over for a friendly get together and all of us clicked just like that. I guess you could say that she became my running buddy. I guess opposites attract, because her and her 5'4" frame and pale skin may look petite and reserved, compared to my 5'7" dark skinned and muscular thick self, her personality is a bit on the contrary. She's as clumsy as can be and I had to keep an eye on her just walking across the carpet, which is an adventure I'd have to tell you about sometime.

All in al: this place with its crappy weather was a really good choice . . .

Now about her walking across the carpet, it all started when my brother had decided to walk over to her house while we were having a movie night with ... I actually think that's enough said.

Hehe.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm Editing the Entire Story:**

**The next morning, I dressed in a couple of layers, a black turtleneck under a dark colored vest and some dress pants and flat shoes. I shrugged on my heavy fur coat I made my way out the door, nobody was awake, so ****no goodbyes. Bella and I have both agreed to get our schedules at the same time, so I pull out of my drive way, and headed off to school with ' The Big Red' following.**

**Finding the school was easy, in the dreary weather, the sign immediately said Forks High School. I pulled in the parking lot and parked beside Bella's Monster Red, and followed her inside.**

**Inside, the heater was on high, and the atmosphere homely. I immediately shrugged out of the coat as we made our way towards the secretary, smiling.**

"**Can I help you?" The red-haired woman asked.**

"**I'm Isabella Swan, and this is Alyson Porter." Her eyes light up as she appraises the both of us. Probably because it was rare that two students were new on the exact same day and at the exact same time.**

"**Of course!" She began to dig through a pile of documents on her desk, and pulled out two of them, along with other stuff. "I have your schedules, and a map of the school." **

**We both found out we had the exact same classes, and she highlights the routes for the classes and hands us the slip for teacher signatures.**

**When we both walk back to our respective cars, the parking lot had gotten more crowded. I drove past the front office, following the line of traffic to see a lot of older cars. Now, to tell the truth, my car wasn't that new, but at least it was in the same decade the ever present was in. A 2002 Corolla is what I had. And the only vehicle that looked even remotely modern besides mine was a shiny silver Volvo, standing out among the other thirty through fifty year old cars.**

**I throw the gears into park, cutting the engine and pushing myself out of the car, grabbing my off the shoulder book bag. I nod to Bella and, she was being moody and solemn and gloomy ( Uh oh, someone's time of the month?), so I just zip up my coat and walk side by side with her to the sidewalk and towards Building Number Three. I left her outside, doing her Yoga breathing and concentration exercises, and follow everyone else into the classroom, bypassing the coat rack and heading towards the teacher, Mr. Mason, I believe, to get him to sign my paper. He gave me a seat in the back, and I felt everyone's eyes on me, following me, as I gracefully sat in the desk, and when I do, I boldly stare back a quirk in my lips as I give them a small grin. The teacher starts his class, and dear lord his voice was monotonous. I had absolutely nothing to do but to tune him out when I glanced over my reading list, my eyebrows lifting in silent surprise. They're reading pretty basic things in here… oh well, no complaints from me. I slyly sneak my flesh colored earphones into my ear, giving Bella a small smirk and wiggling eyebrows as I pretend to take notes and rock to my music, silently of course.**

**I know the bell rings when everyone starts to do their best not to sprint out of the classroom with their desks still attached to them.**

**A tall boy sitting next to Bella leaned across to talk to us.**

"**You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?" He then looks across Bella to me. "And you are?"**

**Bella had instantly corrected him with, "Bella" and I had followed up with:**

"Listening To Music**" He had paused, getting a little bit uncomfortably close to me to peer at my earphoes. "Wow, sneaky"**

"**What's your next class?" he continues.**

**Bella rummages through her bag, but I had the schedule memorized so I supplied the answer. "Government, with Jefferson in Building Number Six."**

"**I'm headed toward building four, I could show you both the way…I'm Eric"**

**I smiles brightly. "Thanks" We both said at the same time.**

**Everyone got their things, and headed out, into the rain.**

"**So, this is a lot different from Phoenix, huh?" he asked, and then he turns to me, "and wherever you're from?"**

**I answer, "South Carolina."**

"**Very." Bella answers her own question and I nod in agreement.**

"**It doesn't rain much in those places, does it."**

"**Three or four times a year at most." **

**And I tune out after that, silently following the two, a few steps behind to our next class a little bounce in my step, my way of dancing in the hallways.**

**After Gov., Mr. Varner the Spanish teacher made us introduce ourselves in front of the class. Me being the smartass that I am, sat on his desk, crossed my legs and began to speak spanish very slowly, and clearly. I was so going to tell a story.**

"Hola, Mi nombre es Alyson y me encanta contar historias. Érase una vez había una escuela en el medio de la nada y de repente estas personas decidió la gracia de la gente comúncon su pre-sencia increíble." I leaned forward getting really into the story and began speaking with my hands. I watched as the class was slowly getting into the story, people leaning towards me as they drank in my words. "Este grupo de personas que eran realmente muy bonito y la verdad era que estaban en la clandestinidad! Ellos se escondían porque estaban secretamente todas las estrellas se mueven y se harto de la vida pretenciosa de una estrella y que quería ser real.

Y así, uno a uno, comenzaron a amar al mundo real, y se enamoró de la gente común. Las chicas eran muy comunes asombrado de que los chicos hermosos no cayó en las chicas guapas. Los hombres comunes y corrientes eran muy asombrado de que las chicas guapas no cayó para los chicos hermosos.

Un día, el grupo de gente guapa reunieron a sus seres queridos ordinaria y se les propone. De los casos. El. Exacta. Mismo. Tiempo."

**Several gasps and girlish sighs filled the room. I had this audience hooked to my every word. **

"Cada persona común y corriente de inmediato accedió a casarse con los demás, perouna sola persona. Que una persona fue el máximo provecho común de todos ellos, con la belleza oculta y un cerebro digno de ser más celosos.

La persona común y corriente miró a todos la belleza y pidió a una sola pregunta. "Lo que quiero saber es, ¿cómo todos nosotros damos por estúpido cuando inicio sesión en y ver Popstars 5 desaparecidos y fotos de todos ellos, se ve exactamenteigual que cinco? ¿De verdad creen que somos estúpidos?"

**I heard quite a few " YOU GO GIRL!" and " BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO THEY ARE" from the audience and I grin, only to turn my head and feel the glare of the teacher.****"Now that you're done wasting my time with your story Ms. Porter, please get to your seat and off of my desk."****I giggle, blushing lightly and drop from his desk, hurrying over to my desk. " Sorry, Dr."**

"**I call myself Alyson Porter, I am fifteen years of age, and I am happy to be here." I hear a collective "Awww I wanted to hear the rest of the story!" arise from the student body and I snicker.**

**[Translation for the Story will be provided]**

**From there, my day was a little bit better. To lunch I go.**

**With the intent to skip lunch, school lunches are so nasty now, I head towards the library, checking out a large book, and stroll to the cafeteria, the open book now in my face. Not even glancing up to check where I was going, I step into the lunchroom and the sudden silence right when I walk in makes me look up to see what happened: Bella. Right. I rolled my eyes, ambling my way towards the empty table as far away from the other cliques as I can, which caused even more eyes to fall on me. Sitting heavily on a seat facing the cafeteria, I discreetly look over the top of my book, actually seeing emotions behind the stares. Some curious, some amused, some disinterested, and quite a few awed. All of them were not subtle, which amused me greatly. And when you hear whispering, and see students glancing your way more than a few times per minute, you know that they're talking about you. I get back to my book, becoming engrossed in it and oblivious to the whispering, murmuring, shouting, talking, and gossiping world of lunchtime.**

**When I absolutely know that I feel more than ninety-nine point nine percent of the cafeteria's eyes on me, I slam my book shut to glare up at everybody to see that there are beings obscuring my view. I raise an eyebrow, but blurt out very loudly.**

**"Oh my god, my story came to life!"**

**I grin as I hear several people laugh; and I take my time to carefully scrutinizing all five of they're still and barely breathing personas, knowing that they're still for this very reason, I smirk as discreetly as I can, and go all out doing the once over elevator look, which only took a few split seconds. **

**The similarities on all of them I notice were their pale, pale skin, the collection of us, very colorful to look at. I smile to myself. They all have this tired look on their faces; they have dark circles underneath their eyes, only seen if up close and personal like I am. They all have that elegance, gracefulness, and refined 'air' about them that makes someone like me think that they aren't naturally **_**like**_** this. This politeness that's not arrogant but is carefully and purposely put for all points of view. Another thing about them, they were all beautiful, including the males. Like dazzlingly beautiful. Someone would get hurt, just by looking at them and staring.**

**The differences: They were all of different heights, the males were all well over average height for males and the blonde female was taller than me, well over average height for females, but the beautiful fairy one looks short. Starting with the pixie, she has very short hair, and looks…hyper. The tall blonde looks like a model, though she looks cold, ha, colder than all the others and reserved, hating, calculating and fathomless. My eyes shift to the males now. The one with bronze hair seems agitated by something, his nostrils flaring and looking directly at me. I raise my eyebrow curiously. He was lean; his body looked muscular, but not too beefy. The blonde male, looked much leaner and taller and he looked even more cautious and almost guardedly at me as well. The third male was taller, bigger, and more muscular than the rest was smiling brightly, although he looked like he could bench press all the others and then some.**

**Overall, I can clearly see why they are thought of as intimidating. Some egos take the blow when you see these beautiful beings.**

" So are you guys superstars in hiding?**." I lean forward, conspiratorially. Immediately there a shift in volume from the cafeteria, very subtly eavesdropping. I roll my eyes, saying loudly and clearly. **

**When I hear a guffaw of a laugh, I snap my head towards the one with that idiotic laugh: the overly large one.**

"**I like you." The pixie chirps happily. "I'm Alice" She points at each body in turn. "That's Rosalie." She points at the model. "That's Emmett" The guffawed. "That's Jasper" the blonde boy. "And **_**that's **_**Edward" The bronze-haired one. I hear the clear emphasis and scrutinize her, trying to figure her intention as I hold my hand out to each and every one of them. When shaking their hands, I notice that all of them have very, very cold and hard hands. And when shaking Edward's hand, I notice that he tenses up the very, very slightest of degrees, and I stare at him, not showing anything that I noticed his response to my touch.**

"**Pleasure to meet the 'beauties' slash hiding superstars of the school" I turn to Alice noticing the way she was staring at me almost expectantly. Raising an eyebrow at her warily, I open the book once again and return to reading it, but not before I saw Edward's expression of curiosity and, a little bit of shock as he was staring at something else. I had followed his line of gaze and find myself staring at Bella, who was clearly looking at this table, more precisely **_**Edward**_**. I glance back and forth between the two and see a slight smirk on his face, as if he had a secret-like compliment that was directed towards him. I raise my eyebrow again, and return to my book, man my eyebrow was getting a work out.**

**Rosalie's cold voice interrupts any further mind conversation. "Why look Edward. It seems you have admirers." Hmm ..looks like she noticed Bella. Her frigid attitude captures my attention as well as everyone else's.**

**Edward turns his head the fraction of an inch to the side, watching the two girls that are talking about him and watching him. **

**He mumbles to himself.**

"**What's she thinking about?"**

**He turns back to the table to notice that something has happened.**

**My eyes were trained on Rosalie while the rest of the table's eyes were scrutinizing him. I was the one that spoke first.**

"**You sound bitchy. Are you PMS-ing?" My tone innocent. There was a hint of coldness.**

**All of the Cullen's heads snap towards me, their eyes wide while Rosalie's eyes darkened even further. Her chair screeches behind her as she abruptly stands up, catching the attention of nearby tables.**

**My gaze was rested firmly on her and I find myself standing from her chair, making less noise. "You have something to say, Ms. Cullen?"**

**I keep my face emotionless, although if one looked closely, one could see the hint of a mischievous glint in my eyes. At that, every eye in the cafeteria was on Rosalie and I. Silence. Pure silence.**

**Yeah, yeah, she was much more intimidating then I would let on but nobody and I mean nobody has the right to just talk to a person like that. One thing I noticed, when I challenged her, was that all the Cullen's eyes flashed to me. I was staring Rosalie straight in the eye: she was certainly taller than me. I wasn't pissed off at all, just taken back with her attitude and tone of voice, a bit indignant. She, however, I could see was struggling to restrain herself. Her hands were clenched into fists, and her eyes appeared much, much darker than they were before.**

**Now that I think of it, their eyes show their emotions or something…they always change from a light golden color to a dark, dark color; like black.**

**My head tilts to the side as the bell rings and I take one last look at the others before easing my way past Alice and sashaying away to my next class.**

**In Biology II, when I walked in, I noticed that every single seat was filled, except for one, and that was near Edward…which I notice suddenly went frigid and his eyes, those coal black eyes were glaring at Bella…**_**and me?**_** My eyebrows furrow and what I noticed was that there were two extra people, and only one available seat.**

**" Bella's sitting in my lap!" I squeal and hurry towards the seat, patting my thighs and giving the girl a come hither look.**

**Several snickers or full out laughter burst from many students.**

**Mr. Banner, apparently noticing the seating situation sighs, signs our slips and sighs again. "Edward, you don't mind having two partners, do you?" He doesn't even wait for an answer and pulls an extra stool out and sets it on the other side of Edward. He places our textbooks on the table and I sit on the left of Edward, because left is my favorite direction, and Bella sits on the right, and dear lord, he looked even **_**more**_** furious and hostile and ferocious.**

** I turn to look at the both of them, Edward, sadly looked trapped between us, well ...not sadly, but madly, and he was as far back as the lab table behind us allowed. I lean my chin on my left palm, and just stare at the both of them. **

**Edward looked like he was smelling something stank, I had to grin to myself, and Bella, seeing the look, not really inconspicuously sniffs a lock of hair.**

**I was listening to the lecture, the easiest subject in Biology period, the anatomy of a cell, and I was casually and occasionally taking notes, already knowing the lesson. During the period, I noticed that Edward had never relaxed his tensed, stiff position, and even caught a quick glare in my direction, and I raised a curious eyebrow, and he turned away, to glare at Bella, who reacts in the total opposite of what I did.**

**And at that second, the bell rings, Bella jumps, and Edward leaps up and having to shimmy his way out of the lab table, behind me without letting any body part touch me and was out the door before any of us. I smirk to myself. I definitely felt like , putting myself out there and shoving my ass in the way, but that would have been very forward of me.**

**And I tune back in to see a blonde boy introducing himself to Bella.**

**And I remember, Gym was next! Gym was next! My heart, my passion, my love, for physical contact sports *coughs* I mean physical fitness. I sigh happily, hauling myself out the door and down the hall towards the school's large gymnasium, which being large was easy to find and get to.**

**Once there, Coach Clapp, the Gym teacher, found both of us a uniform, almost protesting when my uniform appeared smaller than hers. Clapp didn't make us dress out, I chose to, Bella didn't! Especially when we were supposed to be playing volleyball: one of my favorites. Just the sting of a glossy ball on the forearms, and possibly a broken nail, just kidding. I smile to myself, squatting into position on the indicated side I was supposed to be on, and lost myself into an intense game of volleyball, feeling that familiar heat of competitiveness and the familiar rush of adrenaline all throughout the game.**

**At the end of the period, I hand Clapp sign my form before undressing and everything. **

**Side by side with Bella, we enter the front office and I discreetly slide myself out the way, Bella frozen and staring at Edward Cullen, arguing with the secretary. I didn't bother listening to the argument, I was busy eyeing Bella and him in turn. You know... I felt something would so happen between the two. A boy's hatred is the way to win a girl's heart cause he doesn't know how to properly express himself.**

**The door opened, and a freezing wind whipped through the room, and I just happen to notice Edward stiffen, and he had turned, glaring at Bella. He then turned back to the receptionist, mumbling.**

"**Never mind, then." I let out a chuckle and step forward placing my paperwork on the receptionists desk and I turn around to see Edward long gone. I just shake my head and wish the red head a successful and stress less day. I give Bella a hug, she didn't return, and I go out to my car, finding 'Big Red' and my Toyota left. I start the engine, and pull out of the high school parking lot, following the Hospital signs, for my first day at work. Yay. **

**Translation for Alyson's story: **

Hello, My name is Alyson and I love to tell stories. Once upon a time there was this school in the middle of nowhere and suddenly these people decided to grace the ordinary people with their amazing prescence.

This group of people were indeed very beautiful and the fact was, they were in hiding! They were hiding because they were secretly all move stars and were sick of the pretentious life of a star and wanted to be real.

And so, one by one, they began to love the real world, and fell in love with ordinary people. The ordinary girls were very awestruck that the beautiful guys did not fall for the beautiful girls. The ordinary guys were very awestruck that the beautiful girls did not fall for the beautiful guys.

One day, the group of beautiful people gathered their ordinary significant others and proposed to them. At. The. Exact. Same. Time.

Every ordinary person immediately agreed to marry the others, but one person. That one person was the most ordinary out of them all, with hidden beauty and a brain worth being jealous over.

The ordinary person looked at all the beautiful and asked just one question. " What I want to know is, how do you all take us for stupid when I log onto and see 5 missing Popstars and photos of them all, looking exactly like you five? Do you really believe we are that stupid?"

Please let me know if you like this better!


	3. Chapter 3

TUESDAY:

The alarm clock on my watch startled me awake and I groaned; no I wasn't a morning person until after I woke up from my shower. My eyes had eventually wandered their way over to the window, and seeing the sky as cloudy and about-to-rainy, I planned my outfit around it. Today: simple jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt, with a Washington State hoody.

At school, I noticed everyone staring and whispering, even pointing at me even more than usual of the New Kid Must Be Pointed And Stared at manner. I wave like the queen I am to all the people participating and continue to class, speaking with Bella occasionally in the hallway between classes.

The day passed without incident until lunch.

At lunch, I realized that Edward wasn't there, in fact I noticed that Mr. Sunshine was never in the hallways if I really think and remember my day. And so I sat where Bella was sitting.

At gym, Clapp picked the best volleyball players, and surprisingly, I was on the team with the guys who were the most athletic. Needless to say, our team won and I was certainly thrown over everyone's shoulder, cheering the loudest until my side gave me a particularly strong sting, and several of the male members of my team sat me on the ground and boldly lifted my shirt up for it was beginning to bleed through the bandages. Several people gasped and ran over to me, using whatever they could to stop the bleeding, and I heard several girls and guys scream for Clapp.

" Mr. CLAPP! Please COME OVER HERE!"

The rest of the class actually dropped whatever they were doing and ran over to the circle of people on the floor, I whisper. " It's not that big of a deal, really.. Just a previous wound reopened."

I only looked in shock as a someone's previous white t-shirt was thrown out and replaced with another.

"Yeah, keep believing that. Stay away, Alyson, you're losing blood fast."

I nod, looking up at all the worried faces. " Yeah, yeah.. I know… the stitches must have been torn out then and this much trouble from a bullet graze wound . Tsk, tsk. "

My eyes were closing because I was sick of all the people in my face, when several people started to yell out and somebody even slapped my face a few times, and I snapped open my eyes to glare at them. I wanted to yell but the person with their hand on my side had pressed a new cloth to the wound, making me hiss.

"okay, okay no closing my eyes, got it. Bring me someone hot to look at then instead of all these scared girls."

Some people chuckled, albeit shortly at my humor as some paramedics finally arrived and even put me in a fucking neck brace, wow, my neck was not injured! What the hell.

I sighed exasperated as the paramedics loaded me into the back of an ambulance.

Okay I admit I was pretty tired now, exertion of the volleyball game and as well as blood loss was making my eyesight fuzzy at the edges and I whisper to one of the people. " I feel like passing out. Can I?"

They immediately put an oxygen mask on my face and a heart monitor thingy on my finger.

I took it as a sign to not die in my sleep, so I thankfully did pass out in seconds flat when I knew it was okay to now.

According to my body clock, I awakened a few hours later, in a hospital bed, a bag of blood being empties into me, and I sigh. Okay.. That was serious enough to need a blood infusion this time. Okay…

Next thing I know, Dr. Hottie walked in my room himself, and literally my heart skipped a beat, as noted by the heart monitor..

I blush deeply, pointing towards the machine. " You're going to have to make a note on that about you walked in."

He only chuckled and smiled, shaking his head. " you're doing fine with that sarcasm of yours. …" He was reading through my chart and making some notes here and there. " Now lift up your shirt."

My heart skipped another beat and I tilted my head.

" I'm married Alyson. Though I am very flattered."

I cough, blushing AGAIN, and carefully turn onto the uninjured side and lift the hospital gown to my bust line, slowly pulling up the blanket for his sake rather than my own in case some poor nurse that happened to be his wife came in or something.

" See these stitches?" He lightly poked and prodded at them, and I shuddered, feeling my heart rate speed up slightly.

" Uh.. Yeah" I clear my throat, turning my head to the side to try and hide my blush. God, Dr. Hottie was fucking TOUCHING me! Cue fan girl scream, for fuck's sake.

He chuckles again, before continuing. " These are stitches. " He says very slowly. " Stitches are not made for roughhousing of any kind, including your favorite sport, or any sport in gym class. I'll make sure to hand the doctor's note to your teacher myself and make him give you something to do that's not physically demanding."

I snicker silently and whisper. " My bad."

He sighs exasperatedly, clearly, and marks more notes on the chart before taking bandages from his pocket.

My heart skips another beat and I growl at the machine before turning to him and blushing, once again.

"Sorry."

He only shakes his head again and helps me sit up, my hospital gown still around my bust and carefully begins wrapping them around my sides.

"Oh my god, I'm about to kill this machine.." My face.. Was so fucking hot, it showed how much I enjoyed having Dr. Hottie so close, and occasionally he would have to almost hug me to get the bandages around my back before tying them in place on the opposite side of my injury.

I try to look the other way, my face getting hotter as he indeed goes to the heart monitor and starts making notes on the paper.

"You're free to go as long as there are NO sports for at least 3 weeks,"

I nod hurriedly and slowly stand and walk to the chair with my clothes on them. I look from my clothes to the doctor a few times, my blush getting heavier.

Oh my god, I'm such a girl..

" Disrobing females, or any patient for that matter is the job of female nurses, Alyson. Now get out before I give you work in the office"

I squeak and hurriedly, as much as I could, put on the clothes and walk out with the reddest face on dark skin I've ever felt.

TIME JUMP: FRIDAY

Ahhhh… the week was finally ending. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the stabling and monotonous life of school and work, I was glad that Saturday was tomorrow and also on Friday, I was finally told about the expedition to La Push Ocean Park that Mike was planning. I was planning on bringing some of my own food to the outing. I couldn't do shit that was like a sport and yeah that sucked.

During school, everybody was tired, even the teachers. I got less " Are you Okay?"s then usual. Yet they continued their duties and we students carried on with ours, proven by the fact that my Spanish class had a sudden pop quiz. And on the contrary, in gym, Clapp let us sit and talk, without dressing out, so I had spoken with Bella in during the period, yet she seemed very…subdued, which for the lack of a better term, was an understatement. School ended on a happy note, because I had the day off, so I had said goodbye to all, and was hurrying towards the grocery store closest to the high school before Rush Hour hit.

The day after, Saturday, I was lazy and had spent the entire day in sweatpants and a large hoody. Nothing special about it.

The next day, Sunday was only a tiny bit better. I did everything I did the day before, I just read my passages in the Bible. Oh lord…the subject that EVERYONE dreads, besides 'Race'. Religion. I, for one, don't have a set religion, although I do believe in God, I do believe in Jesus, and I do believe in the Trinity. What I don't believe in is a strict, predetermined interpretation of the Bible. For example, I never disrespected the Catholic Church, but that doesn't mean that I understand it, or putting it lightly, want to be a part of it. But anyways, that's another story for a different day. I think some things in the Bible are plain common sense.

On Monday, I actually had to backpedal inside my house again. It was FREEZING cold, and so, I bundled up with more layers of clothing and sprinted to my car, shoving the key in the ignition and punching the heater on.

In English, pop quiz on Wuthering Heights, easy, double easy, triple easy.

When the bell rings, I was bundling up beside the coat rack, when I heard Mike exclaim.

"Wow, it's snowing!"

My entire face lit up, and I tugged on my gloves and hit the door running, falling into the snow and laughing excitedly. I kneel down and scoop up a handful of snow, my eyes narrowed watching for Mike and Bella to exit the building while shaping the pile into a nice ball. And when they do come, I launch the ball at Mike's head and let out a loud giggle, running behind a conveniently placed tree, catching the blonde kid, Eric, on the way over too. Oh it was an All Men For themselves type war. Me vs. Eric vs. Mike. Hell yeah my aim was so superb, thankfully it ended before it got to the point where my side would ache warningly and we had to hurry inside for the next class.

Having way too much fun at school, we all were sort of disappointed when the two minute warning bell rang, and we all trudged inside, smiles still on our windblown and flushed, for the pale kinds, not for the dark skinned one, faces.

After Spanish, I continued the battle against Eric, only entering the cafeteria for lunch once we realized we both only had twenty minutes more of it. I slammed the doors open and was met with the faces of my lovely high schoolmates and my eyes just happen to catch on the Cullen table, seeing five pale beings instead of the usual four. I smirk and flounce all the way over there, plopping myself down and shoving my dreads behind my shoulder so I can smile as brightly as I could at all of them.

"Hi!"

I eyed all of them up quickly, and then break out into a smirk.

"Had fun in the snow?"

Edward allows an indignant noise to come from his throat, almost a snort, but not quite. Funny, how that made him all the more attractive.

"And I see that you did as well…?" I only stare at him for a second before letting my eyes scan all of their heads, their hair was layered with melting snow.

I only shrug and lean back to shake out all the snow that I could and only smile sheepishly. "But maybe you should get a little help with your hair, it's so…" I pause slightly and supply the perfect word. "Wild."

Alice bursts out laughing, and I only turn to stare at her, my brows raised, and she coughs out.

"I…can…totally IMGAGINE you running your hands through his hair."

The rest of then, even Rosalie bust out laughing as well, and I, well… me, I was staring downward, a little bit embarrassed, cause yes! I did want to clean his hair myself. My fingers were actually twitching to do so. Alice then so politely shoved my chair, she's fucking strong for a little chick, near Edward's and presented him in all his angel-like glory.

"Have at it!"

I stare at her, then at everyone else, before resting my gaze on him, and his expression was a mixture of amusement, and… oh god is that sexy ..

He leaned towards me and I could not help but take off my gloves and run my fingers slowly through his hair.

Alice winks at me, and I blush harder inside my dark skin, and at the moment, Edward's attention was somewhere, or someone. I could tell that the others were watching Edward too, yet I wanted to see what had him so curious looking. My eyes followed the line of gaze and I see Bella at the end of it! I could read lips very well, and well… It's a very convenient way to eavesdrop.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you … while being petted by Alyson who is also staring at you…. Can they like read lips or something?" from Jessica. I give her the biggest wink I could as I continued to pet, yes, pet Edward

"He doesn't look angry, does he?" Bella.

"No," she paused, her eyebrow fusing together in what looked like puzzlement, "Should he be? Especially while being pet by a perfect girl?"

"I don't think he likes me."

"The Cullens don't like anybody . . . Well, until Alyson, which I think they merely tolerate, they don't notice anybody enough to like them. But he's still staring at you."

Bella's eyes had narrowed as she glared at Jessica, and I could clearly even without reading the lips see what she had just intoned to Jessica, for the latter had turned away, a very satisfied grin on her face. And so…I turned to the table before me, dropping my hands almost reluctantly from Edward's hair, and excused myself, and glided over to my other friends, gracefully draping myself across the back of Jessica's chair, burying my face into her head and I gasp loudly.

"You guys weren't talking about me, were you?"

Jessica had let her gaze wander to Bella, I saw, and then she pushes me off, and I snicker, sitting in her lap, which I figured, since she was my height, I wouldn't crush her.

"Ohhhh, we weren't talking about you. Just about the fact that Edward Cullen over there can't keep his eyes off of our Bella over here. And you can't keep your hands off Edward's hair."

" What? His hair is just…. Asking for the petting, don't you agree?"

I quickly assess the Cullen's table, Edward's head was facing away from us, but by the size of one of the dimples on his face, I can tell he was grinning. Dimples…

Until, I decided to speak up, looking behind me, at a random Senior table.

"Or…" I begin, holding in a deep breath and begin in the quietest whisper I can, leaning into the table conspiratorially, "He can be looking at the hot blonde over there behind Bella's head." They all rubberneck around, choking on air when they realize the blonde I've been talking about is actually male.

Jessica actually looked like she was contemplating the odds of this, but probably couldn't so she started to ramble. "Those are the Cullens, yes. A doctor in town and his wife adopted them. But they're supposed to be siblings. And all but the bronze head one is taken. Emmett is with Rosalie, and Jasper is with Alice."

My eyebrow quirks suspiciously as I stare at her incredulously.

"And how do you know all this?"

She blushes, putting her head down and muttering.

"My neighbor's wife's cousin-in-law's daughter works as a nurse at the hospital."

" Hmm she may have been the one that undressed me that one time.." I trail off, looking very much so thoughtful.

And then lose it, bursting out laughing, and folding my arms over my head as I lean over the table, trying to smother them unsuccessfully.

"And could you, pray tell, know why you know that Edward does not have a mate...eh...girlfriend? I'm just curious. I mean she could probably be in the state of… Alaska for all we know." I look up at her, a sly grin on her face.

"I don't know. He doesn't go with anyone at this school. We ruled out the option of him being gay a while ago. Everybody else thinks he isn't even looking at any girl...or guy, in the school. Some people think he's uppity. But they are all insanely beautiful...like sculptures standing here in front of us. And he doesn't even sneak to text anyone like the others do, that's how I know."

Leaning back and crossing my arms over my chest, I smirk.

"Girl.. You are such a fucking stalker! I'm worried about Edward's virtue now. I wouldn't want you showing up in the middle of his room with hardly anything on and trying to seduce him to do you every need. However, would you like me to ask him if he is gay? So you can put that plan into action? That would put some rumors to rest, no?"

I swear the entire lunchroom got quiet all at once. But it was only our table and they were all looking at me as if I were crazy. Jessica was fucking blushing like all hell, her face completely red and her gaze turned somewhere else away from us and coincidentally away from the Cullens' table. Lauren speaks up for the first time I'm aware of, smirking.

"Why, I dare you to ask him that. Apparently everyone is scared to."

I perk up at the challenge, obviously, and stare at her smirking myself. "If the Blondie says so, why not?" I stand up and Bella pulls on my arm trying to get me to stay.

"Don't you dare!" She tries to pull me down.

I shake my head.

" I so have no shame, sometimes. You should know dear heart."

I run my hands through my hair, pat my cheeks, pretend to touch up on lipstick, and eyeliner.

"Bella, you know good and well that I can't just ignore any type of challenge or dare." I gently pry her fingers off me maneuver around all the other tables, heading towards the Cullens.

They look up when I come relatively close to their table, sitting in the chair right next to Edward, even scooting daringly close to him so I was mere centimeters away from his side, and I place my elbow on the table, and my chin in my palm, staring at him and smiling sweetly, my attention on him, and him only.

"My friends and I would like to know if you are gay." I tilt my head to the left, still smiling. I hear Emmett snort and Alice try to stifle her laugh. I keep my eyes trained on his golden ones and he extends his neck slowly to glare over his shoulder at a table...I'm guessing the one I was at before staring back at me.

"No, I am not homosexual." He raises an eyebrow of his.

I accept the answer, smiling and winking at Emmett and Alice before raising up and sauntering back towards my table.

"As you all watched, he said no." I smirk at all of them, sitting down and leaning back into my chair comfortably. They all just look away embarrassed and I laugh. Loudly. So loudly that Edward shoots me a look, and I wave back.

In Biology, me and Bella were both sitting at our table, Edward-less and Banner was walking around setting labs up on all tables.

And then.

I felt my chair being gently shoved towards the table and I dramatically gasp and hang onto the table, leaning all over it. I could practically feel him roll his eyes at me and I just grinned up at him in response.

Banner starts explaining the lab, and I had produced my Biology notebook with the spirals on it and everything. The lab which I got the instruction from only the first statement of his pre-lab lecture, was to figure out stages of Mitosis.

I had discreetly taken the glass slides and the microscope away from the middle of the table and was beginning to analyze the first slide, muttering.

"Definitely prophase."

"Do you mind if I look?" I shake my head, smiling at Cullen and pushing the 'scope towards him, turning back to my notebook to write prophase in big, bold all capital letters.

"Prophase," he agrees, pushing the microscope towards Bella now..

We did this with the entire series of slides, and finished in record time. I had pulled out my book, reading with my legs crosses casually, half-listening to Bella comment on Cullen's eye color when Banner walks up to the table.

"So, Edward, didn't you think Isabella and Alyson should get a chance with the microscope?"

"Bella, and actually, they both did two out of five slides, I identified only one.

He looks at Bella first. "Have you done this lab before?"

She replies, "Not with onion root."

"Whitefish blastula?"

"Yes."

"And you, Alyson, have you done this lab before?"

I only shake my head.

"You haven't? Well, than…you have a remarkable understanding of cells; good to see at this time and age. Carry on quietly please. " And he goes off, muttering something under his breath about how he regrets putting the three smartest people in a lab bench together. I just smirk.

Bella and Edward go off into their own little world, and I continue reading. Until I had to put the book up when Banner was explaining the phases of Mitosis using the overhead projector.

And then the bell rings! GYMMMMM! I hurried a half step behind Edward as all but ran out of the room and hightailed it to the gymnasium.

Today, the class was divided into two teams in one big game of volleyball, and I got the team of Bella! So, even though I was on the sidelines, I may have given Bella some tips on serving, so she doesn't end up hurting herself, or her team. Hehe.

School ends, and I take my time getting to my car, which today, was right behind Bella's 'Big Red', and I have to stop to text my Dad to go to work immediately after. Turns out, Bella, who I think was a bit emotionally unstable comes within an INCH of hitting the front bumper of my Corolla and I had to shout profanities out at her.

"DAMNIT BELLA, GIVE ME A FU-FRICKING HEART ATTACK WILL YOU!" I take a deep breath and when I turn my head to follow Bella's progress across the parking lot, I notice Edward roaring with laughter.

"AND CULLEN, WHERE DO YOU GO OFF AFFECTING MY BELLA IN SUCH A WAY, I'D WATCH MYSELF BOY!"

"Says the one who's heart monitor was noted as emotional distress when my dad walked in her room."

I spun around, gaping at him.

" How in the fuck did you know that? Wait, wait, never mind, I can see the similarities from here. Fuck you Cullen.."

I just hear his amazing laugh before turning and stumping towards my car.

Unsatisfied with that one sided argument for the day, I trudge off to the Corolla and pull off towards the hospital, mumbling about the things I'd do to Edward if he happened to be unawares and alone.

Oh the things that a revengeful female could think of..

And NOTHING like that, oh my fucking god, pervert mind.

So How do you guys like the new and improved story so far? Reviews = Love!

Let me know!


	4. Chapter 4

Hopping out of bed, the very next day, I noticed two different things: one, I felt my center of gravity was off, meaning that I had a chance of not fitting any of my jeans anymore, which comes to the second point, that I need those jeans because everything outside was covered in a fine layer of hard water, aka, ice. I hurriedly slip on some pants, some extra traction boots, with a three inch heel, may I add, and a tank top and I throw my hair up into the bun. Glancing at my watch, I curse loudly. I had three cars to put chains on, and only half an hour to do it. I thunder down the stairs not even bothering to put on a coat and I make my way into the garage grabbing all the chains I needed and I got to work.

Almost an half hour later, I flew up the stairs, strip off all clothing, jump in the shower, avoiding getting my hair wet, cause you know, I'm not one of those girls that wash their hair every, fucking, day. Hair like mine, just does not put up with that crap. White girls maybe, but not this chica. But I regress.

Okay, so I hop out of the shower, dry off as quick as I can, and put on matching underwear. Dude… if I could, I'd get away with going commando, but since you know, girls have these little things called hormones, so, therefore, that's not happening anytime soon, sadly. I sneak a glance at my body, and I sigh. I quickly lunge to the corner of the room and I mark off feet and inches, all the way up to six feet. I have a really good, accurate measurement by my eyes. I press myself flat and I mark where the top of my head is on the 'ruler'. And I turn to look. Okay. I sigh in relief. I only grew a quarter of an inch. Now five foot seven inches and three quarters. Jeans still fit, I shove my legs into a pair of dark toned jeans and zip up. I grab the first tank top, short sleeved top, and long sleeved top I found and amazingly all three went together nicely in the inverse order, hehe, I love being weird.

I put back on the three inch heel, very walk able snow boots, and I hurry outside, grabbing my keys, wallet, and phone, I hate purses! I'm very…anti-feminine, aren't I? So what.

I glide into the car, rev the engine and slam the reverse gear on to back out of the driveway. I only have five minutes to get to school to make it before the warning bell…

I totally made an entrance, skidding into the parking lot of Forks High and barely managing to control the car enough to park it in my usual space behind Big Red. I quickly hop out, and spring, again, amazingly sprint in my heels, and blast through the front door just as the warning bell rang, and I sigh in relief, walking normally, well, normally as you can get after the second part of my entrance to my locker, and then to first period.

Oh my god! Today was a good damn day! I acted high during lunch. And I definitely know how that is thanks to painkillers, thank you so very much. But! Guess what happened!

Here it is: I sat with Bella and the Nest today, and I randomly shouted "Truth!" My eyes dart around to everyone else's catching and holding. "Or dare? Bella!" The table was getting sort of boring… okay it was totally the dunes of hell and boredom at our table.

She squeaks, pointing at herself. I nod.

"Truth…?"

I lean forward, pushing my empty tray across the table and I smirk evilly. " Which one would you prefer to sleep in your bed: Edward Cullen. Or Brad Pitt?"

Everyone's eyes widen and the girls all turn to Bella. "Damn, that's a hard choice! Giiiiirllll….Girl. Damn."

I patiently wait for an answer, and I hear a squeak from Bella.

I lean forward. "What was that Bella? I can't exactly hear you when you're speaking bird."

She coughs out "Cullen!"

I tilt my head and turn in the general direction of the Cullens' table.

"Hey, Edward! Look over here for a second!"

He turns to stare at me, amused, for a quick second. And I nod. "Good choice Bella. Good choice."

I smirk, wiggling my fingers at Edward and winking before turning to my own table. And I see all the girls stare at me, including Bella.

"What?"

"Did you just…did you just blatantly flirt with Edward. Edward Cullen?"

I smile slyly. "I wouldn't call it flirting. I'd call it…playing."

I nodded to myself.

But before I got into any deep detail, Bella surprises us all.

"Alyson! Truth or dare?"

"Hmmmmm… that's a hard decision…I'll take dare!" The table oohs and ahhs around me and I smirk at Bella, whispering. "Bring it on."

"Alyson, you can do back handsprings, right?" And her eyes flit over to the Cullens' table like a flash.

"Maybe… why?"

Bella smirks as she slams her hands on the table staring straight at me. " Then I dare you to do something gymnastics-like, land ON the Cullen table, and then crawl on hands and knees towards a Cullen of your choice and meow at them. And you HAVE to be pet."

Several hands came to mouths as they gasp and stare horrified at Bella. " For real?"

"Done!" I was so going to do it. I am that crazy at the moment, Perhaps I did take a few too many painkillers today. I stood up, stretching my arms.

"Aren't you going to take off those ridiculous boots?" Lauren sneered.

I stare down at them and shrug. "They make no difference, however, they'll come into play later." I sashay away, swaying my hips and saunter towards the cafeteria doors.

Turning around I take a deep breath, make sure that no teacher was around, and began a mad sprint. Halfway from the Cullens I start a tumbling combination of a round-off, back handspring, back handspring, back handspring, back handspring, lay out, and end with a back tuck on the table in a precarious crouch. I exhale loudly, breathing heavily, while rounds of applause rift throughout the cafeteria. I smile and I bow, deeply, but I wait till the applause ends, and drop to my hands and knees, slowly crawling across the actually empty of trays table towards my target where I then lower my body onto the table and flicker my gaze towards my table, who just start to frantically wave at me to hurry and do it.

I meow and make sure to prop my legs up so that they kick in the air, sort of like a cat's tail, and purr loudly. Rosalie just looks at me disdainfully for a second, and then I switch tactics and roll onto my back, whining. " Pwease pet me?"

I saw her glance towards the other Cullens' wordlessly before huffing and patting my head once and turning her head away, still looking so very poised.

I stand up, point to my table across from the Cullens and say as loud as I could.

"HA! She pet me! So there!" I stick my tongue out at them as rounds of laughter filled the cafeteria, surprisingly some from the table and I accept Edward's hand as he helps me off the table before flicking me towards Bella and the others.

I slowly blow him a kiss and daintily strut away, without turning back, cat calls and wolf whistles falling into my path occasionally…

My table's faces looked a lot like O.O and o.o with some blushing here and there. I got several high fives from a lot of guys and a pat on the head too!

Damn today was a good day.

And then after gym, I greeted Bella and we were falling all over each other laughing about the cafeteria incident, which has gotten so much attention for me, damn it, I didn't think of that right before I did it, and we both stumped our way through the ice covered ground, me with a firm grip on Bella, my arm wrapped around her waist.

Suddenly, there was this tangible buzz in the air, making hair rise off the back of my neck and send some static up the sleeves of my shirt. I was definitely on edge when I exited the school with Bella by my side. Something bad was going to happen and I know it.

All the way back in my Martial Arts age, I was taught to never doubt my inner core, my instincts. And my radar was going off for damn sure. Bella was yapping my ear off, yet I didn't mind, I usually liked listening to her Phoenix stories, but as of now, I was paying little attention. My eyes had darted across everyone's faces, suspicious and wary of what I felt was about to happen.

When I walked out the front doors with Bella in tow and I had almost buckled with the amount of buzz I perceived from the surrounding. I lift my head up and tune into Bella's conversation walking with her towards her old truck.

"So DAMNNNN, Alyson…"

I know Bella was talking and all, but something, something, was screaming at me to turn around and I did, my hair swinging around as I turned my head. Everything, and I mean everything, slowed down and my heart began to beat loudly and quickly in my ears. Adrenaline was released into my system and my muscles tensed.

Tyler Crowley, lord help that boy, wasn't looking where the hell he was going, and the wheels of his vehicle slide across black ice. He was trying to gain control of the front wheels but I guess the steering wheel locked and boy was the tail end of that van skidding closer towards us then ever.

Everyone starting screaming, girls, boys, present teachers, everyone.

Bella finally turned around to see Tyler's van skidding directly at us. I was scared. I was definitely scared, but that didn't stop me from trying to stop the van that was coming at us pretty fast.

At the speed he was going, we were about to get crushed. Hooking my arms around the cab of her truck, I prop my legs up in the nick of time as the van slammed against Bella's truck, and almost made me pass out from the force of the car shoving my legs toward my chest and I could feel the heels of my boots snap on impact and I try to keep the van from crushing me. The front side of the car was swinging towards Bella, and I couldn't do anything, I was pinned in between the cars. I scream "Bella, move!" But, of course she didn't.

Someone, someone incredibly strong shoved the car away from us and I lower my feet to the ground having to crouch since there stubs of the heels were uneven. Adrenaline still pumped in my veins, seeing Edward hover above a crouched Bella…

*Wait! What the hell?* I give a double take, Edward? Unfortunately my legs buckled out from underneath me and I give out a small yelp; spasms started in my right knee, and I was holding onto it with both hands as people started swarming everywhere, around the three of us. I heard someone yell about teachers and ambulances, so I takes a deep, deep breath and rest my head against the cold metal of Bella's truck, the adrenaline finally seeping itself out of my bloodstream.

I just had to wait for my diagnosis now, I think as I roll the leg of my jeans to above my knee, where a deep bruise was forming. I sigh, closing my eyes to continue the wait.

Willing myself harder than ever not to pass out…

So, yes…the ambulances came to the school parking lot in all their blazing red and white glory and squealing. Me and Bella both got carted off to the hospital, the very same hospital I happen to work at while Edward just got to sit there and look pretty. *Damn him…* The emergency medical technicians carefully handle my leg, forcing me to lay down and everything, taking this way too seriously. Even going as far checking the stitches of the previous injury.

A few minutes later, I'm rushed off to the Radiation ward of the hospital to get my knee checked out. After a boring hour of 'lay still' and 'try not to move', I'm wheeled in a wheel chair, how dashing, into the waiting room. And since Radiation is in an actual ward, no one I know is there, and I sit back bored.

Trying to pass time as quickly as possible, I just blank out, with my eyes open, staring at the wall…

…until Dr. Hottie walks right on in and up to me, ruffling through several black sheets.

"Ahhhh…Alyson Porter…had a little run in with a car, I see" A nurse, seemingly appearing from nowhere ambles up to me, and begins rolling me down the hallway in stride with the doctor. She leaves as quietly as she appeared once she drops me off in a post-evaluation room, and alone with the doctor.

I guess being around 5 different Cullens left me with protection in dealing with this seriously hot doctor, and I sighed loudly.

He turns to a white strip of screen, turns on the light and mounts the X-rays onto the boards, showing me my knee in all sides, dimensions, and etc. He accesses the damage done to my knee aloud.

"You're lucky there's no fracture in any of the surrounding bone, yet we do see some fluid build up in the interior of the kneecap, meaning either muscle or ligament tear…probably both, for you pushed the backend of a van away, and the van was skidding at a considerable speed to actually break a kneecap. You are lucky, indeed. I'm just putting you into a stiff-cast, you're already sitting out of gym class. So this is an extra few months added onto recovery, and you'll be fine so don't you dare complain."

I quickly shut my open mouth and pout.

The paramedics had already cut away my pants, from knee down, and my boots were totaled. Damn. He slid he cast on, tightening it accordingly and reinforced a lot of the Velcro. He helps me up, and I couldn't help but sigh softly when I feel his cold hands. Hard, and cold, yet they were gentle. Relaxing.

I lean most of my weight on the Cullen and I hop out, towards the main entrance, and I see with astonishment, that the entire school was in there, stuffed in the small entrance.

I whisper. "What the hell?"

Dr. Cullen looks down at me, he actually was pretty tall. "Accidents normally don't happen, Alyson, and you are quite popular, especially with that event you pulled on my family."

I blush heavily, and Carlisle coughs. "I have to check on Bella, now. I'll see you later. And I still expect you to come to work, dear. A nurse is coming with some crutches for you." He walks off briskly. I stare after him before being bombarded with almost half of the school.

"Are you okay?"

"OMG ALYSONNNNNNN"

"HOW"S YOUR KNEE, ALSYON?"

I look around, calmly and place a hand up.

" Torn ligaments at the very worst, nothing serious"

"SHIT!"

"ALYSON!"

I accept the help, balancing on the now arrived crutches and I stare at my knee, smiling sadly. "Well, no repeats of this morning's cafeteria scene anytime for now."

I hear some chuckles and I shrug.

I got a ride back to the school to pick up my truck, and I hurried back to the hospital, clocking in almost an hour after my normal arrival time. I sit, and I sigh, thinking about Edward and the van.

One thing I don't describe myself as, is stupid. For one, if instincts are telling you something, you don't IGNORE them and pass them off at your imagination! I CLEARLY saw that Edward Cullen would NOT have gotten to us in time for that van not to smash both of us. There was no logical way.

However, there is more to this world than just science and logic. There's also the spiritual and the mythical, not all of the crap you read in mythical books are bull shit. Some of the stuff you really can question. So, from what I gather, Edward Cullen was not human. Couldn't possibly be human. No question about it from my part. But, I was starting to get a headache and I haven't even started on my daily stack of papers to file: I am definitely a neat person, not a neat freak, but a person that enjoys a clean room.

So I finish that up and leave at my allotted time.

And I leave in time for me to run into a storming Edward. Like literally, run into him. And I gasp, grabbing around his waist for balance quickly as my crutches fall to the floor, and I stare at them for a second before slowly gazing up to Edward's face.

I look up, blushing deeply when I realize what predicament I had instinctively gotten myself into. I wasn't short, but I had to slightly strain my neck to look him in the face and I search his eyes, those dark eyes, and I mutter. "Thank you for saving us, Edward. . . I'm not as stupid as the other people in this town, but thank you for using your… abilities to save me and Bella." His eyes darken even further, and his lip curls up into a slight snarl before shoving me into the wall and shoving his lips into mine, almost tearing my fucking face off.

Wait, fuck that's not what happened.

Here's what really happened:

"Thank you for saving us, Edward.. I'm not as stupid as the other people in this town, but thank you for using your … abilities."

His eyes darken the slightest bit. I release him quickly, hoppy turn to lock the door to my office and scramble to pick up the fallen crutches before rushing out the door, to my car, cranking the engine and slamming the gas all the way home, breathing hard. . . What in the hell…was that about? Did I just have a fucking fantasy? Thing was, I didn't even know the answer to my own question. . .


	5. Chapter 5

Waking up the next morning, it was a Wednesday, I believe, I couldn't wear….anything that had pants legs. I had to scrounge around for the majority of my morning to find a skirt or some capris. I finally found a skirt that looked slightly warm, damn, and I decided to wear that and my hoody with some boots of mine, furry boots.

At school, I'm relieved to say everyone was worried about me and Bella, and were asking questions about my brace that I was sporting. You'd think that the brace was a fashion statement. And I did notice that some guys' eyes were lingering a little bit longer than necessary on my legs. I only had to brandish on of my crutches as a sword about five times before people got the picture not to check me out. I did notice that Bella got harassed more than I did, and I was smiling happily the whole day.

Edward began acting more hostile towards the both of us, and I just shake my head, whispering to particularly know one that his secret whatever it was that nobody knew, whenever I thought about him, that is.

Weeks passed by and by, and a new subject came up in the Girls' bathroom was the Girls' Choice Spring Dance. I quickly exit the bathroom when that topic does rare its head. Me taking some more medication that would make me high, could wait. I'm not pretty when I'm high from painkillers.

Me being the bored person I am, I purposefully watched everybody one day, when the gossip concentration was particularly high. From the beginning, Mike was acting moody, and Jess was PMSing all over the place. Didn't take Calculus to figure out what happened between the two. So, I figure, I'd help out the two a little bit.

During lunch, I asked Lauren for some help, she has gotten more approachable towards me lately, and she agreed, so, I sat in the seat beside Eric, draped my legs over him so that my feet were on the other chair. Lauren took up the remaining chairs to assure that Mike and Jessica do get to sit together, and when Eric started acting up I elbowed him and flicked my hair in the other two's direction. He immediately got it. There is a God out there indeed.

However, thing did not go as planned, and by Biology I had enough of two people acting really asinine towards each other. I was early to arrive, I definitely had a plan Band I narrowed my eyes to watch Bella and Mike to enter the lab.

When Mike actually asked Bella, all shit hit the fan.

"I was wondering if . . . Well, if you might be planning to ask me."

I snarl under my breath and I didn't miss the coy little look Edward sent me, as he eavesdropped and I stood up, leaning over the desk to slap the back of Mike's head, leaning over Edward too.

'You IDIOT! Can you see that SHE wants to go with YOU? YOU ARE SO DAMN BLIND!" I lean over further, grabbing his collar with a strong grip and I hiss threateningly in his ear. "I will personally escort you to her after class so you can accept her invitation."

"But…' He squawks trying to get to Bella.

"NO buts or I will silence your mouth forever".

He definitely shut up after that, and gave Edward very quick glance before removing himself from my grip, or rather I fucking threw his ass in his seat.

Edward quietly asked.

"You really haven't asked anyone to the dance, have you?"

"No. I'm not going to the dance at all."

"Why not?"

"I'm going to Seattle that Saturday."

"Can't you go some other weekend?"

"Mr. Cullen?" Banner calls.

"The Krebs Cycle." Edward answered, and my eyes widen. Even I wasn't aware of the class going on around us. Damn. I turn my attention to Banner.

When the bell rings, I stand up, gathering my notebook and turn to leave when Edward calls.

"Alyson. Bella."

I turn to him, guarded and curious. Yet I poke at Bella, still staring at him and squealing.

"Oh my gawd, it's Edward! He's speaking to us Ordinaries!" I grin, latch onto Bella's arm and huddle against her.

His lips twitched, fighting a smile.

"Yes, Edward, we do have a class next period. I have gym to get to, as does Bella."

"I'm sorry. I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way, really." My smile immediately drops from my face, and I find that holding onto Bella is very comforting, his words piercing my mind and leaving an abandoned feeling.

Immediately, a flash back to the almost car accident flits through my head.

Bella. "I don't know what you mean."

He explains. "It's better if we're not friends. Trust me."

I turn to go, but Bella's voice, angry voice, freezes me.

"It's too bad you didn't figure that out earlier," she hisses. "You could have saved yourself all this regret."

"Regret? Regret for what?"

"For not letting that stupid van squish… us."

I turn back now, raising an eyebrow in her direction.

Edward sounded pissed off now. "You think I regret saving your lives?"

"I know you do!" She snaps back.

"You don't know anything." Yep. Pissed off.

Bella turns her back, and stomps off. Or rather, stomps off until she almost trips and drops her books. C. L. U. M. S. Y.

Edward had already picked them up for her, and she almost bites his head off with her graciousness.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

I whistle lowly, and Edward pauses at the doorway, giving me this dangerous look that had my heart pounding and blood freezing in my veins.

Oh gosh..

They both huff off to their next classes and I have to hold my breath to keep from bursting out in hysterical laughter, and I idly follow Bella to gym.

Hot damn. Gym today was basketball. And I had to sit out. Woe is me.

After class, I crutch my way out to the parking lot, seeing Bella and Eric talking and I sigh deeply, heading towards the parking lot.

I fall into the car gracefully, and turn on the radio, and back out of the parking space. I turn my head to watch Eric walk off dejectedly. And of course, Edward just made Bella's mood worse, for he had walked past her, obviously about to bust out laughing himself.

"Classic, Edward. Very classy." I smile to myself.

Oh, but he was far from done.

He held up traffic!

In the parking lot!

Bella was behind Edward's Volvo, and Tyler…oh shit!

WTF?

I slap my hand over my forehead and I try to wait patiently as Tyler got his chance to personally ask Bella to the dance.

I hiss. "That…..sneaky little…"

I didn't have to work today, so I got to go home and do nothing! For my parents were on a business trip.

I had to call both my mom and dad separately, and we talked for a combined total of an hour before I said I had to leave and do some homework, which was partly true… I had basically done all my homework for the rest of this week and the next. It always helps to find friends in your teachers.

And after the phone call to my parents, I happened to remember Bella's lie to go to Seattle, and I rang her up on it. So now we're carpooling to Seattle and I'm taking her on a date.

The very next day, I awakened with a light heart, or rather, a match-maker's determination. I pull myself out of bed and immediately I hop towards the shower, planning the day out.

When back, I toweled myself dry and applied vast amounts of lotion to my skin. I pick out a corset, I'm in love with those things, and a matching skirt. Of course I wore something over the corset, but not enough to hide the fact that I'm actually wearing one without an undershirt. And I found the spiked heels to go with it. Time to work my magic. I laugh evilly in my head.

Pulling into the school I park right behind Bella, which I notice is not her usual spot, and I waste a few seconds, at the wheel, staring at Big Red. "OOOOh! Damn, I'm stupid!" I check the distance between the Volvo and Big Red and I smirk. "Like that's going to stop him, Bella…" And what do we have here in front of my eyes, Bella had dropped her keys, and the Knight in the Shining Volvo had picked them up for her! I discreetly exited the car, keeping my eyes and ears open wide.

"How do you do that?" I could literally see her hair bristling with barely contained electricity.

"Do what?" He handed the keys over, and I just rolled my eyes, leaning against my Toyota and closing them. I tune them out, the boring part of it, and when I finally hear them start to walk away, I push off the car, brush myself off, and follow them, making as little noise as possible in my three-inch spiked heels. How funny is that? But really, I didn't make any noise, I'm that good.

"Will you go with me to Seattle?" He was staring at her with his intense gaze. Honestly, I would have melted long ago.

I decide to step up, we had discussed this in our plans last night. We were supposed to go together.

I cough behind a closed fist, and amusedly watch Bella swirl around to face me, as Edward coolly does the same, but not with much 'enthusiasm'.

"Hello, dear Edward….You see, there's a problem with that. We-" I point to Bella, "- she," and I point to myself , "and I are going on a date. " I raise my eyebrows, wondering if he'll actually challenge the notion of going by ourselves.

He steps forward, and I follow him with my eyes, curiously. "Well, I invite myself." He pointedly looks at Bella, and then me. " You, both of you, really should stay away from me." I smirked as I leaned into Bella and brushed past him as much as I could in crutches and heels.

"That's hard to do, Edward, when you insist upon being the Knight in Shining Volvo to both of us…" I seriously couldn't resist.

I don't even see his reaction as I stride "arm-in-arm" with Bella down the hall to first period…


	6. Chapter 6

I just sat silently, watching everyone one of my circle of …I guess you could call them friends. When entering the cafeteria, my eyes sweep the entire cafeteria in one split-second glance I crutch past the chatting buddies and sit at the table that Edward was beckoning me to. And I smirk.

"You rang, Master?"

I couldn't help but let out a little grin and Bella appearing out of nowhere slaps my arm, and I exaggeratedly cry out and cradle it to my chest. "Sexual Abuse!" I pout my lip, giving Bella a really tearful stare.

She just rolls her eyes and turns her attention to Edward, getting the hint awfully clearly and feasting my eyes upon the glorious being in front of us.

"This is….different…" Bella began.

"Well, I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly."

Damned… damned to hell… for an eternity…I present myself with a clue…

I keep my findings to myself, hearing Bella point out. "You know I don't have any idea what you mean…"

"I know," he cracks a smile , but flashes his eyes in my direction, making me think that Bella's situation did not apply to me at all.

"I think your friends are angry with me for stealing both of you." I raised my eyebrow at his diction.

"They will survive" Bella, with just a touch of sarcasm, replies.

I know for one thing, their stares didn't bother me one bit.

"I may not give you back, though." He says with a particularly deliciously mischievous glint in his eyes

"Ookay, love birds I'm sure I'm not supposed to be here for this conversation, so I'll just… go over there…yonder." I pick myself up from the table, and walk over to the rest of the Cullens, a small smile on my face as Alice happily greets me, chirping with several questions about me and the like.

I couldn't help but feel if I just walked out on something so very important, and I felt almost lost from my sudden departure.

Alice thankfully takes my hint that I'd like to be silent and turns to start a conversation about Versace with Rosalie.

I was a little bit tired and depressed, nothing a quick nap wouldn't fix

DreamWorld

I was wrapped in cold arms, my face pressed against a lovely cold, neck, a voice that I can't recognize whispering these sweet delicious things to me about chocolate. 

A man after my own heart.

This man had a delectable piece of chocolate held between two fingers and hand fed me the chocolate, slowly allowing my lips to enclose around his fingers, and I definitely licks his fingers for the remains of the chocolate, making me moan in ecstasy, and making him tighten his hold on me.

"Mmmm your fingers taste so good even without the chocolate.. Yumm."

I felt him lean into my ear, his voice dripping with lust. " And I bet YOU taste extremely delicious, my dear.. Now allow me to satiate my hunger.."

I had blushed hotly, and he definitely moaned as he rubbed his face into my neck, making me gasp.

I felt his teeth lightly scratch over my skin till he stopped at the vein in my neck where he hums in appreciation and dug his teeth into my skin with a quick snap of his jaws.

"FUCK, you really fucking bit me?"

I jerk away to see the entire Cullen family staring at me and I blush heavily, a smile sliding across my face.

" Well… hey there.. Uh.. Yeah.. I go into deep sleep pretty much anywhere… you know.. Hehe… and I wasn't really dreaming about anyone.. You know.. .someone that was unrecognizable to me, heh."

They all share a knowing look, before continuing their conversations.

Oh my gawd… that was so embarrassing. I slumped forward, just noticing I was breathing heavily, and there was sweat on the table where my head was and I groan under my breath.

That's the second time I had a fucking fantasy, dream, thing.

Sitting in class, we were doing blood typing, how fun sounding. So I just sat there, wondering where Edward was.

It was until a few moments later that it hit me, and stiffened in my seat.

Holy shit! No wonder he's absent. BLOOD typing. Another clue! Oh shit…this is getting a bit closer to the extraordinary legends here, which myth has an aversion to blood? Well I don't think any do, but perhaps aversion is the opposite of what's going on. Which myth loves blood so much that around innocent blood they skip out?

I rub my neck where I dreamt about getting bitten and freeze.

Holy shit… no way. My eyes close thinking deeply about this.

The blood thing, the pale skin, the coolness of their skin, the uncanny ability to… do what? I'm not sure, but the strength, managing to stop a vehicle in motion, the attractiveness of the vampires.

I let out a loaded breath before opening my eyes to see someone accidentally cut themselves too vigorously.

Point. Proven.

Banner spoke right next to my ear, almost. "Can someone take Bella to the nurse, please?"

Mike volunteers, of course.

I quickly volunteer. "I'll explain the situation to the nurse, sir. Plus, I've already done this lab. Sir, I'm O+."

Banner considers this for a moment, and he nods. "Go then, I'll excuse you from this lab then."

I get up and hold the door for Mike and Bella and I glare at Mike, hissing. "If you try ANYTHING, your ass is mine."

I see him gulp and slide his arm from around her waist, and she suddenly speaks out.

"Just let me sit for a minute, please?" She slumps down on the sidewalk, and I sit next to her, brushing her hair out of her face, and trying to calm her down.

Busy with taking her vitals, the way her eyelids fluttered every other second, and how pale her face was, her hands were trembling, and her lips were paler than her face, she was very freaked out.

I didn't look up until I heard Edward call our names.

"Bella? Alyson?"

"What's wrong - is Bella hurt?" He sounded upset.

Mike answered. " I think she's fainted. I don't know what happened, she didn't even stick her finger."

I automatically corrected him. "She didn't have to stick her finger. She's nauseous at the sight of blood, so she didn't faint, she just gets sick. I can easily say this qualifies her as Hematophobic." I quickly glance at Edward. "We need to get her to the nurse…I'm sure I'm strong enough to carry here, but, I think she'd enjoy it if you did the honors. Mike, you can go back to class." I didn't even turn to see if he did, but I certainly heard the light, and surprisingly not heavier, steps of Edward as we hurried off to the clinic.

I held open the door and the nurse gasps.

"Oh my."

"She fainted in Biology." Edward and I say at the same time. Easier to say fainted instead of she's hematophobic.

I followed Edward, eyeing him suspiciously as he placed her on the mattress thing, and I sat next to her, rubbing at her wrist softly.

They conversed around me as I thought about Edward's sudden appearance.

How in the hell did he even know to walk down this exact hallway at this exact time? Or rather, how COULD he have known to?

My eyes gaze across the room in his direction for a split second before I return to Bella's now restored appearance enough to hear the nurse. "You can both head back to class now." My eyes raise from their focus on Bella to the nurse. And I hold back a glare.

"We're supposed to stay with her." Edward authorized, and that took care of that.

I checked my watch, and let go of Bella's wrist, she looked much, much better.

The door clangs open and Ms. Cope sticks her head through and calls out. "We've got another one."

I can't help but flash my eyes in Edward's direction, and my head snaps in the direction of the door as Mike staggers in with a drowsy Lee Stephens supported against him. I quickly help him into the clinic, and scan him of any injuries, my mouth pursing in concentration., until Edward slaps a cold hand upon my forearm and drags me out the office, next to an almost-hyperventilating Bella.

"What the…" I didn't even get a chance to finish, for Mike had burst right back out of the office, and into the hallway.

I narrowed my eyes at him, not even paying attention to the conversation as I turned towards the Science Building, until Mike spoke up. "Wait! So are you still going this weekend? To the beach?" He glanced first at Bella, then Edward, and then finally at me. Honestly, third place?

I nodded slowly as Bella replies, with a hint of exasperation, "Sure, I said I was in."

"We're meeting at my dad's store, at ten."

"We'll be there."

"I'll see you in Gym, then."

And I sank against the lockers, wondering if the day would ever end, as Mike finished up his salutations to Bella.

Bella, feeling the same way, groaned. "Gym…"

"I can take care of that." Edward speaks. "You sit down and look pale." He glances at me, just staring back at him with a disinterested stare, blank and emotionless, and tired. "And you . . . Look exactly like that, that's wonderful."

Somehow, without doing anything at all today, I was exhausted, so I just slumped against Bella's side as Edward talked to Ms. Cope. And, I was starting to get a headache.

Edward asked Bella something and she replied with something, I felt both of their gazes on me, and the she said something else. I felt myself being gently pushed off Bella, and the warmth left my side, only to be chilled out with Edward's strong back being pressed into my front, and I squeal, instincts taking over, wrapping my arms and legs around his neck and waist respectively, my eyes wide as I stare into Edward's face, his head turned towards me in an amused second. Oh, this felt very familiar, and my mind flashes back to the dream before I shake it from my mind, with a small blush.

Bella explains. "Well, Edward thought that you wouldn't want to be held bridle style, so…the only other choices were me carrying you, or you riding on his back, and…let's just say that I'm not a weight lifter, and that I know muscle is heavier than fat…"

My eyes glaze over and I nod, the headache getting worse and I mutter my acceptance. Plus, Edward's neck really felt good, and I surely couldn't help but tuck my face into the crook of his neck, and breath in his delicious scent. I just about melted.

Edward whispers into my ear. "You're in no condition to drive, Alyson…"

I didn't know what the hell was going on, but I nodded, muttering about my car."

"Rosalie will take it to your house." Edward replies gently.

I dig in my pocket for my keys and I handed them to him, whispering. "Thank you." And with that, I fall off into a deep sleep…

Rawr, Reviews are Love.


	7. Chapter 7

Unfortunately, the very next day, everybody was poking at me, asking for the hourly gossip. It seems that someone had told someone else that they saw me carried by Edward Cullen to his car with Isabella Swan following.

I couldn't help but burst out laughing, and nodding every time it was brought up.

And then the Gossip Queen Ms. Jessica reared her head, getting in both mine and Bella's face.

"So what did Edward Cullen want yesterday?" Jessica asked in Trigonometry, my assignment was already done, and I was sitting there.

"I don't know," Bella announced. "He never really got to the point."

"You looked kind of mad…,"

I cracked a grin in response.

"You know, I've never seen him sit with anyone but his family before. And also I've never seen anyone sit with him and his family either. That was weird."

I just tuned out, giggling to myself.

At lunch, I sat with Mike and the circle of friends. Everybody was hyped up about the upcoming weekend in La Push, and I sigh rubbing at my cast.

I did have something planned. And I had to get ready for that when I get home.

I wasn't too busy with my plans, because I caught several glances from Lauren to Bella, very nasty glares too. I frown and continue eating. I'll have to take care of that…

When lunch ends, I walk directly in front of Lauren, and just as predicted, she says something with that big mouth of hers.

"I don't know why Bella doesn't just sit with the Cullens from now on." Such disdain and ugliness in her voice.

I whip around, my hair snapping angrily with the momentum of the quick turn and I glare directly at Lauren.

"Shut the fuck up! You're just a crazy, jealous, asshole of a bitch! Stop hating, it's making you even uglier as a person!" I spat at her before I nudge Bella and crutch my way indignantly to class with Bella at my side.

After school went out, I hurried into the parking lot, hurrying as fast as my knee brace could allow, and hopped into my car, speeding off home. I had stuff to plan for.

I pushes the last of the bigger stuff into the trunk of my car, and slapped the trunk down. I walked off, and rushes up to my room, after reading the time from my watch.

I hurried up the stairs, pulling out a duffle bag and shoving three outfits into it, underwear, and the necessities all into that one bag, along with my special one too. I race out the door, and into the car, slinging my bag into the backseat and I giggle loudly, speeding off to Bella's looking at the time.

I was spending the night over Bella's since the trip to La Push is tomorrow morning.

I brought, without the aid of crutches, all my stuff in, hugging Bella and throwing her stuff in my room before sitting at the table waiting eagerly for dinner. I was way excited for tomorrow. I didn't think I was going to sleep.

Charlie Swan made small conversation all throughout the dinner while Bella subtly but not to my eyes, tried to squeeze all the information out of him she could on the Cullens' choice of 'camping' areas.

Camping areas, huh? I had indeed listened very closely to how he said the places where they camped were where particular populations of dangerous wildlife, and deer, were and that he hoped they knew how to handle an angry bear.

Well, now… I guess they drink that instead of human blood. It does make since, they dropped out of doing the blood typing lab.

After a few minutes of stacking the dishes next to Bella as she washed them and me drying, we went to bed. . I just stripped to underwear and fell asleep in Bella's room, on her floor, soft, nice, warm…

In the morning, I jumped up at the first flash of sunlight that hit my face, and I was rushing to the bathroom as Bella groaned, struggling to get herself up. And in the record time of three minutes and twenty five seconds in the shower, I hopped out, brushed my teeth, through my hair up into the highest ponytail it could go into, and raced back out to my duffle bag. Bella was not a morning person I see.

I was seriously struggling with the upper part of my bikini! Did I GROW or something! I mean, my bra still fits me! How in the hell could this happen? And then I read the tag…1999. Oh my god. I actually did grow…I just..haven't..used this bikini in forever…damn…. My poor tatas.

I had finally managed to stuff my poor too ample for the bikini top breasts into the bikini top and slid on the matching bottoms. To hide my poor, almost erupting out of the top, breasts and the bottom of the bikini I wore a nice colorful tank top and a skirt. I was going to walk without the aid of crutches today, so I put on the most comfortable shoes I had. Sandals! And I flounced out, just in time to see Bella rubbing sleep out of her eyes while muttering something about it being too early in the morning for insane Alysons to be running about in her house. I just smirk hobble down the stairs to fix a breakfast of large pancakes and orange or apple juice. How nice of me!

When finished stuffing our face we exited the house, and used my car to drive to The Newtons' Olympic Outfitters store.

In the parking lot, we immediately see Mike's Suburban and Tyler's Sentra. Pulling up to their cars, I see the group all standing conversing with themselves: Eric, Ben, Conner, Jess, Angela, Lauren, and three others.

The one that Bella accidentally fell over gave her a dirty look, and I pull Bella into me, glaring straight back at her.

Mike sauntered over. "You came! And I said it would be sunny today, didn't I?"

Bella replies. "I told you I as coming." And I nodded in agreement.

"We're just waiting for Lee and Samantha . . . Unless you invited someone," Mike pressed her.

"Nope," I clearly heard the lie in Bella's voice and I don't react to any of it.

Mike nods, happy. "Will you ride in my car? It's that or Lee's mom's minivan."

I cough, and step up. "Actually I think it would be better if there were three transporting vehicles. Because even with the people right here, it would be beneficial to have more than two cars."

"Oh! Yea, you're right. Well…yea. Thanks. We'll sort this out when the others get here."

I could basically hear Jessica's sigh of relief and I smirk. That would have been ugly.

And I happened to be right, because our number grew four plus, because Lee had two more tag-alongs.

So I had a full car with Bella shotgun, following Mike and Eric into La Push. It was so nice out, and the scenery was so green and gorgeous, and all, the windows were fully rolled down, and my sun roof was retracted and hair was flying all over the place, not mine, cause my dreads were heavy and long.

First Beach was very new to me. Yet, I was glad that there were waves, wind, seagulls, pelicans. A typical beach. After parking with the others, everyone jumped out, chatting loudly and excitedly and trudged their way down to the sand. I, however, stayed back and waiting till nobody was watching before popping the trunk and taking out my new grill and several food items. I was setting up for lunch with the help of a few people who stayed behind, bless their hearts.

Someone had lit a fire, and the salt had turned the flame blue. After laying out all the food to cook with and spices and the like, I took off everything to reveal the bikini catching a few ogling guys.

As I would cook, there were decisions made to go hiking, or either to stay on the beach. I wanted to go with Bella, hiking, but yeah, I was in charge of lunch, plus I just started walking without crutches.

Some people stayed to help me, and by the time the trekking groups came back, there were huge plates of food everywhere.

Even some natives came out and decided to chat us up.

But first they helped themselves to my food and I just grin, waving at them from the grill as I put more food on it to cook. Damn am I lucky to buy the entire selection of meat from the grocery store.

When everything was being watched over smoothly from the others, I finally made my own large plate, grinning, when I notice that everybody was going off into their own little groups and worlds, and I spot Bella going off with this kid… what's his name…Sam….no…Paul… wait! Jacob! I sneaked over to a place at the fire, where I could hear, yet not be suspicious and started eating.

I ignore all the small talk, catching up as childhood friends part, until Ms. Bitch Lauren came around.

"You know Bella, Jacob?" Who COULDN'T hear the sneer in her voice?

"We've sort of known each other since I was born," he tires to laugh off the sudden tension.

"How nice." I felt the hair at the back of my neck bristle and I stand up, walking straight behind Lauren, leaving a lot of space between us, and not being seen.

"Bella, I was just saying to Tyler that it was too bad none of the Cullens could come out today. Didn't anyone think to invite them?"

"You mean Dr. Carlisle Cullen's family?" the oldest looking Native American boy asked.

"Yes, do you know them?" Lauren taunted back, dear fucking god I hated this bitch.

"The Cullens don't come here." the boy said in a tone that clearly said to shut up about this topic.

I stepped straight up to Lauren, holding back from straight out punching the bitch. "And if we all had our way, then you would be prohibited from the face of the planet even more so then the Cullens."

She had sprang up and sank backward in fear before turning to run. My eyes flash in her direction before I take her place and mutter, audibly enough.

"Damn, I really hate that whore." But my mind was on other things.

What? The Cullens cannot come here?

They all looked at me, giving me grateful nods, for a second before returning to their conversations.

And I was staring at the fire, listening to Jacob and Bella, when my ears prick when I hear Bella ask Jacob. "Do you want to walk down the beach with me?"

And he jumped up with her, eagerly.

I sigh loudly, walking off in the other direction, only to skirt back around the fire, with nobody on my tail and tailing the two.

I came right in time.

"What was he saying about the doctor's family?" I CLEARLY know that Bella was trying whittle information out of him. I sneaked over to a tree that was just close enough.

"The Cullens? Oh, they're not supposed to come onto the reservation."

"Why not?"

I slid down, not facing them, trying to make myself inconspicuous, but still listening very closer.

I heard the hesitation in Jacob's voice.

"Oops. I'm not supposed to say anything about that."

"Oh, I won't tell anyone, I'm just curious."

And then, Jacob's voice deepened, noticeably.

"Do you like scary stories?"

"I love them." So enthusiastic, Bella.

"Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from - the Quileutes, I mean?"

"Not really."

"Well, there are lots of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood - supposedly , the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to survive like Noah and the ark. Another legend claims that we descended from wolves - and that wolves are our brothers still. It's against tribal law to kill them."

My back stiffens against the tree, my mind racing a thousand miles a minute.

Jacob's ancestors… werewolves?

"Then there are the stories about the cold ones." Jacob continues, speaking a little bit deeper.

And I press myself against the tree, trying to catch every single word.

"The cold ones?"

"Yes. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land."

"You're great-grandfather?"

"He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf - well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves."

And my heart stops, and my eyes water, because I feel like I'm on the edge of a cliff JUST ABOUT to get 'it' and I just can't seem to find the right pathway to the cliff….and I KNOW I'm so close…

"Werewolves have enemies?"

"Only one."

My ears perk.

"So, you see, the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandfather's time was different, They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did - they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the pale-faces." I immediately got 'pale-faces' as whites. It's hard not to when you were definitely not white.

"If they weren't dangerous, then why…?

"There's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they're civilized like this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist."

"What do you mean, 'civilized'?"

"They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to prey on animals instead."

Oh….fuck! Oh my fucking god! HUNT humans? As in actually 'eat'? However, I know it's not over yet, Jacob definitely has more to say. Well, Bella has to ask for it though.

"So how does it fit in with the Cullens? Are they like the cold ones your great-grandfather met?"

"No…. They are the same ones."

I cover my mouth with my hands, stifling a huge gasp and my eyes tear up with the realization. Of course there's stories about Werewolves and VAMPIRES on the internet sites like Quizilla and Fan Fiction, but this shit is real! Like, no story could possibly replicate how supernatural this is! But also! That means that the werewolves.. That the ability to shape shift or whatever into a wolf has been passed down…

"There are more of them now, a new female and a new male, but the rest are the same. In my great-grandfather's time they already knew of the leader, Carlisle. He'd been here and gone before your people have even arrived."

Wait a damn second! That means…that means that Dr. Hottie is possibly four HUNDRED plus years old!

"And what are they? What are the cold ones?"

"Blood drinkers. Your people call them vampires."

The confirmation to my thoughts made my stomach churn. Holy SHIT! Vampires and Werewolves are not only TOTALLY REAL. They're mortal enemies, and the vampires that happen to reside in Forks, Washington prey on animals, not humans, and have produces a treaty with the great-grandfather of Bella's childhood friend WAY back in the day in the reservation of La Push, where the Werewolves exist. And both sides stay true to the treaty, which there is a lot more than that… I'm for sure.

I take my hand away from my mouth, just in time to hear Jacob.

" I guess I just violated the treaty," he laughs, and then he turns serious. "Hey, Bella… I've been wondering, your friend, Alyson? She sort of looks like one of us…I don't know… her facial features…and somewhat of her skin tone… in fact…. She really looks like Sam, you know the older boy?"

"Now that you think of it, she does bare some resemblance… I don't really know, I haven't looked at Sam too closely…" Bella replies, audibly confused.

Interesting… I'll actually have to look up my nationality and origins.

And then Mike and Jessica suddenly clamor over to Bella and Jacob, making a huge ass scene…jealous idiot.

"Well…we're packing up - it looks like it's going to rain soon. You know where Alyson went?"

Oh shit! I jump up and hobble through the trees, and then circle back around to the others, calling. "I'm here!" Jacob really stares at me for a few minutes before I turn and stare right back at him, my head tilting somewhat to get really into it.

As we treaded towards the parking lot, the first few drops of rain splashed against our skin and I unlocked the car so all of my passengers could get in. And I generously took everyone home before getting Bella and I to her house…

I couldn't help but feel giddy: I was fucking right!

I want some reviews, I need to see how well I'm doing. :D It gives me the momentum to carry on.


	8. Chapter 8

I woke up the next morning, before sunrise, or gray-rise, whatever the weather wanted to do today, and threw on some workout clothes. I had to go for a check up at the hospital today. I tied gym shoes and took off out the front door, making sure I didn't wake anyone.

How could this be? Forks, Washington hosts two types of the super phenomenal. And the two are complete enemies. The two actually despise each other, yet they got over themselves enough to sign a treaty to not cross into each other's lands… And I bet since the Cullens claim that they do not drink the blood of humans, that part of the treaty is to never kill a human…and along that line to never change one into a vampire either. Damn I'm good, the bubbly feeling in my lower gut proves that I'm on the right track.

And five of them actually lived over seventy years ago, and one of them the leader, Carlisle Cullen, Dr. Hottie lived even before Caucasians came to the Americas! That makes him over 300 years old. And the simple answer to all of this, they're immortal. Vampires. And of course their enemies the werewolves. Otherwise known as lycans, lycanthropes, shape shifters, etc. I don't know too much about them, but I WILL find out.

I pull up at the hospital, and limp my way to the automatic doors, my body on autopilot, while deep in thoughts.

Another thing was that Jacob said Sam looked like me…or rather, as he being older, that looked like Sam… I'd rather not think about the entirety of what that can imply yet. I know I will have to soon. Considering the fact I have his genes and he could turn to a howler.

I check myself in, and recline back on a chair. I grin as Dr. Hottie himself, comes to get me and I have to comment on this. " So… Doc, you don't let your nurses handle me at all?"

He chuckles as he steers me towards the X-ray room. " No, because I have a feeling even if they are straight you would make them blush, giggle, and stare at me even more than they do now. I don't trust you with them."

I had to laugh loudly at that, and went into the room for my check up.

Later on, turns out that I could graduate from stiff brace to flexy brace! Awesome! Dr. Hottie didn't even ask but he lifted my shirt to check my side and he deemed me fit enough to lightly start engaging in light activities.

I cheered as I jumped down from the examination, prodding, table and run out the room, only to be halted by his large hand encircling the back of my neck, almost lifting me by the scruff of the neck, and I turn to him a sheepish smile on my face.

"Yes, Doc?"

" LIGHT activity. Or I make you work 6 days a week instead of 4."

" Yes Doc! Gotcha Doc." I snickers softly as he sighs and all but throws me out of the room…

And straight into tall, dark, handsome, and cold.

Again, I had clung to him so I wouldn't fall on my ass.

"Hey Tall, Dark, I mean Edward! Just what brings you here?"

I was just about level with his shoulder, so I could halfway see the glances that he made toward Dr. Hottie, and he finally turned his gaze down to me.

" We have a habit of running into each other. Why don't we go get something to eat, my treat. No, it's not a date. And no it'll be in Port Angeles."

I salute him. " Aye, aye captain. Will report to duty in 15 minutes. However.. Are you going to follow me home so I can be a moment to be a girl and shower and stuff?"

" Of course. I'll even give you a head start."

I nod, and start my way home, after waving to Dr. Hottie.

" Now just what does he want to speak to me about."

Exactly 14 minutes later, I was walking out the house in a long sleeved shirt, a black vest over it, and flare legged slacks, with my brace over the leg of it.

True to his word, Edward was in the driveway, leaned against the hood of the car.

I raised my eyebrow, cautiously and make my way towards the passenger's seat.

He being the gentlemanly figure that he is, opened the door for me and helped me into the car.

I definitely expected him to put my seat belt on me, but I guess that would have gotten too close to me for just having met me .. Though he did carry me on his back that one time.

I relax back into the seat, as much as I could, yet there was this type of barrier that I was afraid to start to break.

He turned the radio on, and I finally did relax as classical music filtered through the speakers.

My eyes close as I follow along the melodies in the piece.

Before long, the car stopped and the music turned off, and I blinked open my eyes, to stare at the dashboard, before fumbling with my seat belt, and lifting a hand to open the car door.

My hand finds itself in a large, glove-covered hand I give him a look before being tugged out of the car and onto my feet.

Linking his arm through mine, we trek our way silently to a small café.

I breathe lightly , watching as the breath condenses into visible air, and I follow him through the little restaurant doors.

The hostess immediately straightened up, giving him a large smile before letting it drop almost from her face all together.

" Seating for two?"

"Yes please." I answer her, my tone neutral and light. I give Edward a small smirk as she hurries and gets 2 menus before turning and seating us in a particularly enclosed area.

I look through the menu, for just a few seconds, and give my order to the waitress that was immediately around. Huh, funny how things work.

"So…" Edward starts off, staring right at me.

" I know. I know about it. Please do not worry.. I would never tell anyone, or give Bella a hint about it." I grasp onto his hand, almost clinging as I look down to it.

I kept my grip on his hand, sighing softly. " I know because you've been giving us clues, as well as someone on the reserve doesn't know how to keep their mouths shut, though that person just merely confirmed my ideas, as well as told me a few things about the reserve itself."

I pause, closing my eyes and doing my best to think, if I left anything out or something.

" Oh, I don't care what you and your family are, my sense of preservation is telling me to befriend you guys.. And I will definitely do so, starting with you."

"But we're dangerous, Alyson, you should stay away from us." His hand still firmly within my grip.

I sigh and sit back, just in time for my dish to come out, and I push it to the side, leaning back on the table, towards him.

I speak quietly. " I don't care. For you to say that now, is what makes me think that I'm safe with you guys around. Now.. What's your favorite color?"

I dig into my food, feeling a thousand percent better.

By the time the dinner was over, we were laughing so hard about… damn, what were we talking about. Fuck the conversation just took the weirdest turns I don't even know where we ended up.

We asked for the check at the same time, and when the waitress set it down on the table, I lunged for it with my entire body, only to have to try and wrestle it from his hands.

" MINE!"

" No, the guy asks the girl out for dinner, and the guy pays, Alyson. It's the way it is."

"Nuuuuu I was the only person to eat anything, therefore, I pay for dinner."

We engage in a staring contest, trying to outstare the other.

However when the waitress returns, he hurriedly slips a bill into her hands and gives me a smirk.

I gasp, mouth falling open. " NOT fucking fair! You damn cheater! FINE then, when I ask you out next time, I AM PAYING."

I stand up to shrug my coat on, and he just shakes his head laughing, just music to my ears!

" Sure, sure Alyson, next time."

Since it was the weekend, I suggested something totally crazy. " Hey let's go to your house and listen to the awesome music collection I just know you have."

He turns to look at me, studying before sighing loudly. " Alice would want to see you, anyways."

When we pull up the long driveway to his house, I could not help but stare at the amazing architecture of this house. My mind was completely bedazzled, as Edward guided me out of the seat belt and out of the car and up the driveway and through the door.

Seriously, I was that amazed. I woke up enough to stare into the living room before being suddenly thrown in his arms and ran up stairs, vampire speed, and dumped onto his …couch. Ah, there was no bed in this room.

I took a long deep breath before grinning giddily at him and rushing towards the stacks of CD's. " Oh my, oh my! Someone's rather old fashioned, hmm?"

I began shuffling through the disks, and I choose one to listen to. My eyes have caught on an entire wall of a shelf, full of books, and I gulp, pointing at it, while staring at Edward with wide eyes.

He just laughs, takes a book that was on the couch, and gestures towards it.

" God, you're an angel sent down to save me."

I set a CD in, find one of the thickest books I can, and dramatically swoon onto his couch, landing with legs thrown over his and back propped up on the arm of the couch.

We were just enjoying each other's company, reading through a lot of our books for hours and hours, when we were rudely interrupted by 1) my stomach, and 2) Alice busting into Edward's room and demanding that her human be fed. That's right Her human.

I didn't know I belonged to anyone. Plus how did she know that my stomach would make noise at exactly this time.

I mutter. " How did she..?"

Edward, closes his book and throws me on his back, like literally, knocking the breath out of me, and I gasp, wrapping my legs around his waist as I whisper. " Could you a little more gentler, god damn.. You're so rough with me."

" Alyson, this is my mother figure, mom, Esme, this is my friend Alyson."

"Hey Mrs. Cullen!"

" Hey sweetie, you can just call me Esme, none of that Mrs. Stuff."

I immediately felt at home as she had cooked up this huge dinner for one, setting numerous amounts of plates around me on the dining room table.

" Oh my… wow… you stuck your foot in this.." I discreetly wiped the drool from the corner of my mouth and grinned towards her.

" Thank you so much! This is amazing."

Being that fat ass that I am, I ate every single bite, sometimes moaning at the deliciousness of the food. Now, there were about 5-8 different plates, but the thing was that there was a tiny serving of food on all plates, giving the table a professional, wine-testing, look. She definitely knew her stuff. If I were to open a restaurant, I would so want her to be head chef.

I lean back, a big smile on my face. " Oh my god, that was so good, Mrs. Esme. I would so hire you for head chef if I were a restaurant owner." I give her two thumbs up as she clears the table with one hand, and wipes it down with the other, smiling gently at me.

"Why thank you, Alyson. I love any excuse to cook. I absolutely love it. And the restaurant idea is actually not a bad idea."

I grin cheekily before Edward walks me up to his room again.

I lounge full length on his couch, laying my head in his lap, and dozing off for what I told myself would only be a few hours.

Those few hours I said I would sleep turned into the whole night, and Edward drove me back home in the morning.

*BEEEPPP* You have two new messages.

First message: "Hey Alyson, this is your mom and dad! You know how you said you wanted to find your origins a few months ago, well, we decided we'd help you. So we already took the first step, we emailed the orphanage we adopted you from, and they should send copies of your real birth certificate, and the hospital where your were born, and etc! They should have sent the papers by now, baby. So, if you have any questions just call us up! You know what to do, you're more independent than any other fifteen year old I know, so do what you gotta do! Bye!"

*BEEEEEEEP* Second Message, unknown cellular device.

Hello Alyson. I just wanted to ask you to watch over Bella at the bonfire tonight. Because you know how awfully clumsy she is. She'd trip over a grain of sand. So please, watch over…and no, you're not babysitting, Alyson.

*BEEEEEEP* No more messages, if you want to go back and repeat messages, push …..*

I groan loudly, rolling my eyes. "Edward….."

I delete all messages and check the mail, indeed finding a fairly large envelope with a national seal on it. "Thank you, mom and dad…"

I dropped all the other mail onto the table and I rip the envelope open, finding a birth certificate which I just throw aside and I look to my adoption records.

Name: Alyson Porter

Date of Birth: January 20, 1991

Nationality: Native American

Date: July 21, 1993

Age: 2

Date Adoption Finalized: July 29, 1993

Okay. I surely already knew that…

And then I looked at the birth certificate, face down on the table.

I looked at the clock and sighed loudly before stacking the papers from the adoption agency neatly on the counter and went up to my room to finish hours of the week's homework before dropping off to bed somewhat early.

Dreamland:

I run through the forest, my body lithe and flexible as it bounded through the trees, jumping over fallen trees and weaving through complicatedly grown trees. I was somehow running, faster than a car, faster than an airplane, all I saw was a blur of trees, yet my instincts took over, allowing me to jump, dive, and weave easily around many obstacles.

All of a sudden, I come to a stop, sweat dripping down my body; I stop at an invisible line: I instinctively knew that this was the border, the border of Forks and La Push, and putting two and two together, I figured that this was the Treaty Line. I felt a part of this side of the line, for every single Cullen gracefully stepped out of the trees, not a hair out of place and assorted themselves in a perfectly straight line, all of them with bright smiles on their faces, making them look insanely beautiful, with all of them flanking Carlisle as the center. Yet, I felt a tug towards the invisible line and I stepped onto the Treaty Line, for several large different-colored wolves were lined on parallel to the Cullens, the same exact distance from the line, with a large black wolf as their center. So hear I was, standing in between both of the super powers, as friendly and non-aggressive as I knew this was fake to be, when all of a sudden the second largest wolf phased back into its human form, revealing a barely clothed, very built Jacob Black. And appearing by his side, was Bella. Bella appears by his side, and they look at each other with the utmost love, and my eyes widen. I thought she liked…before I could continue my thought, a pleasantly cold feeling washed over the left side of my body, and I shiver…But what about..?

My alarm makes me jump, squawk, and fall straight out of bed, onto the floor, in that precise order. "What the hell…?"

I glance at my watch, and sigh, hauling myself up and rushing to the bathroom, for I only had fifteen minutes to get to school. Sometimes I loved the adrenaline rush from almost missing school…

School had been, for a lack of a better term, such a drag. It was pretty warm, so my skirts didn't not entirely fit the surroundings, everyone else was in shorts and t-shirts, and my brace was getting the air it needed.

Jessica, Angela, and Lauren had approached Bella and I, inviting us to go dress shopping for the dance, which I very discreetly rolled my eyes, and had intoned very lightly that if Bella would go, so would I.

With that, the dance was on EVERYBODY'S mind, talking and chatting and gossiping and all the stuff that girls do with girls and guys …whatever they do, talk I guess.

During lunch, I definitely noticed the way Bella kept glancing at the empty Cullen table. Well, for one, they either went to feed, as vampires do, or they were protecting themselves from the nice weather, as vampires do, but I'm pretty sure that a lot of the myths about vampires were greatly exaggerated. I'd have to ask when I get a chance…

Once at home, I passed the table where the birth certificate and things were in their vanilla folder, and I kept away from it, a sense of apprehension filling the atmosphere and making my hair stand on end. Yes. Definitely not the time for that.

I kept myself busy until fifteen minutes before my bed time, actually planning out the outfit that I would wear to school and to the shops in Seattle, for the first time ever! How wonderfully … girlish…blah!

The next day, I spent a little bit of time on ironing the clothes and putting them on. I had very little skirts, dresses, miniskirts, etc. Anything very girlish. I'd say I have only two skirts, one black and knee length flair, the other a bright red, a bit snug fitting to the mid calf with two slits up the thighs; one dress, a dreadful black number that I should have thrown away ages ago, and like one miniskirt because my dear mother insisted on buying me something to show off the legs that she didn't have…Don't get me wrong, my mother was beautiful. But she was short, and a bit plump, meaning she wasn't fat, but damn she had ass and breasts. No wonder Dad tapped that …I burst out in laughter at the thought, quickly pulling the black knee length skirt, and a white blouse that buttons up the front. And of course my knee brace faithfully adorned my healing knee, and for shoes, I just put on red pumps. Wait a damn minute! All my shoes can't fit my feet anymore? What the fuck? I rush through pair after pair of shoes, and the only things that could fit me were ONE pair semi-new running shoes, and two pairs of high heels, a pair of black pumps and red pumps of the same style, again, that my mom insisted that I would wear….HOLY FUCK, I've grown then. I check the size of the thrown away pairs: 8. And I check the size of the pumps: 9. Holy hell I need to do something about this soon…

But for now, I was seriously running late!

I thundered down the stairs expertly and gracefully sprinting in these three inch heels out the door and threw myself in the car, the tires squealing as I pulled out of the drive way. Damn…

After school, I drove back home, and walked over to Bella's, Jessica was going to pick us up, and we were going to be using her car. I non amusedly lean against the window of the car, in the back seat and close my eyes, dreading the shopping world of girls.

AUTHOR NOTE: Reviewing == Loving = Caring^2


	9. Chapter 9

Jess drove fast. But not fast enough. The estrogen drive within the car was choking me to death, and I remained deathly quiet throughout the entire drive to Port Angeles.

At the department store, the only one in town, we briskly search for dresses. Well…not me, I was just a judge. I don't do dances. And that's exactly what I told Jess and Angela and Bella. And they looked at me incredulously.

Angela actually dropped her shopping to assess my situation. "Alyson, do you absolutely know how beautiful you are? Do you know how many guys want to ask you out? You would look WONDERFUL in a slinky black dress or something!"

I just shake my head and mumble something about how dances were just a waste of time and breath in my opinion, and they all went back to their shopping while I just sat at the door of the fitting rooms, judging the appearances of the girls as they tried on all of it. And then it was Bella's turn.

Bella had told them that she had never been to a dance in Phoenix.

"Didn't you ever go with a boyfriend or something?" Jessica asked.

"Really. I've never had a boyfriend or anything close. I didn't go out much."

"Why not?" Jessica pushed her, mentally.

"No one asked me."

I could literally see the wheels turning in their heads as they digested this.

"People ask you out here. And you tell them no."

And then Angela quietly added. "Well except for Tyler."

Bella gasped, "Excuse me? What did you say?"

"Tyler told everyone he's taking you to prom," Jessica suspiciously eyed her.

And I snorted, muttering. "What a fucking liar."

"He said WHAT?"

"I told you it wasn't true." Angela quite loudly supplied to Jess.

I was staying out of this, just watching. It was between Jess and Bella, seeing as Jess was the one that knew that Lauren liked Tyler, yet he liked Bella who didn't like him back. I grin. Classic love triangle.

"That's why Lauren doesn't like you." Jessica giggled.

"Do you think if I ran him over with my truck he would stop feeling guilty about the accident? That he might give up on making amends and call it even?" Bella all but sank in agony and misery.

"Maybe. IF that's why he's dong this." Jess joked.

Of course the department's dress selection wasn't all too big, yet they both found whatever they wanted and tried it on.

And then the fatality came, Jess could not decide on two dresses. I would have gone with the most rule-testing one, yet I didn't voice my opinions and I just let her decide. I got up to follow them to the shoes, ignoring everyone's comments, nodding and saying yes and etc. for everyone's convenience, yet I was solely committed to the shoe section, and I was browsing the racks for size nines and ups. For, I had a feeling that I wouldn't stop growing, Forks has seemed to spur on my sudden growth spurt. So, I spent the time, trying on gym shoes that I liked, sandals, heels, and all. And I only ended up buying two pairs: silver flip flops, and brown flats, all size nine and a halves.

And then Jess and Angela decided to go drop their stuff off in the car, while Bella wanted to check out the bookstore. The muscles in my stomach tightened incredibly, and I for one don't ignore my instincts, I went with Bella.

After walking with Bella, and finding that there was nothing about a bookstore except a magic, spiritualistic dwelling, we, or rather Bella decided which way she thought the downtown area is, we were very silent.

I figured Bella was thinking about Edward, and I wasn't thinking about much, until I spotted a silver Volvo that mysteriously looks exactly like Edward Cullen's mode of transportation.

"Stalker…" I mumble under my breath, as we passed the parked car.

And then Bella got us lost, and the air was buzzing with pent up danger. I stayed quiet as Bella was the one that took it upon herself to act as the GPS. But when I felt as if we just walked in the entirely wrong direction, the street turned significantly less crowded. And I frown.

I follow Bella as she turns around, walking slightly behind her: my adrenaline was slowly pushing to my organs, my hearing, eyesight, sense of smell, and everything sharpened considerably because the dangerous buzz just got that more concentrated. Ahead of us, there were four guys that looked a bit older than us that turned the corner that we were heading for. My eyes immediately assessed them as opponents. All of them were taller than both of us, slightly shorter than six feet, and slightly taller than that. They all looked to stay in shape and I could tell the challenge that was about to come us by the way they were acting. Outrageous.

"HEYYYY" One idiot, I'll name him Idiot Blue, for his clothing was the color of blue, plus easier to kick his ass with that name. I particularly like the color, yet on this dumbass it was making me gag.

Of course, Bella being the most naive innocent girl ever replied with a 'Hello", and we heard laughter behind us. That only made the hair on my head stand on end as if electrified. I lightly prodded Bella to quicken her pace and we started to speed walk away.

"Hey wait!" Idiot Red yelled.

I never revealed this, but I had a slight limp that I hid from everyone with the knee brace on. But this time, I purposefully, exaggerated every step, leaning on Bella and whispering for her to just play along, as I started to caress the knee. And since I absolutely had no idea that we would gather this amount of attention. But I guess no guy can resist a woman in a knee length skirt, button up shirt, and red heels. The bitched didn't know that I had several types of self defense black belts up my sleeve. I whisper to Bella.

"Bella, I want you to take my brace when the time comes, and stay out of my way. I don't know if you noticed, but there are two of the guys from that group following us. Code names Idiot Green and Idiot Black. The others are on the other side of this street around the corner; they're herding us. And I for one don't do herding. So just don't trip over your feet. I got this." She looks at me incredulously and I nod slightly, keeping up my act, actually moaning in pain and complaining about my knee loudly and how it just started to hurt.

We calmly, well I calmly, and Bella all but freaking out, allowed the two to herd us into the others, and when we reached the dark, empty, street, I pulled my leg up, balancing on one three-inch heel and unbuckled the brace in a smooth move, slipping it to Bella.

"THERE YOU ARE!" One of the idiots exclaimed, in front of us. We had stopped completely.

"YEA. We just took a detour!"

I kept my eye on the two behind us, and the other on the two in front of us.

"Stay away from us…" Bella all but croaked to them.

"Aw, don't be like that, sugar. We'll be sure to go slow with ya and take our turns like good little boys." the big idiot smiled creepily.

At this, my adrenaline bursts out of my brain, shooting electricity up my arms and down my legs and around my abdomen.

I snarl, pushing Bella back as I step up in front of her. " OH NO THE FUCK YOU WON'T!"

I twist my body sharply, slamming my foot, red heels and all into his face, and following up with another helicopter kick, landing on the ground with a slight click, and before the boy could even jerk away, I launch a punch at his nose, and a knee to his groin, effectively putting him out of game. While the idiot landed with a thud and a groan, I eye the other tree who turn to stare at me with nasty grins on their faces.

"Oh…. I like a girl rough in bed, I do…"

I growl loudly, and drop to the floor, spinning in a fast circle, sweeping the legs out from under two of them before popping back up and dropping my elbow into both of their solar plexus's winding them completely and ending their life in the game.

I flip myself back up, and face the very last one who twitched nervously yet decides to have his chances with me, even if his friends were agonizing over their pains on the dirty street. Oh well, all the fun for me, then.

I was about to throw an uppercut to his nose, when all of a fucking sudden, headlights swerved dangerously around the corner, and skidded to a stop mere centimeters from me and the last idiot. I was closest to the front bumper, yet the boy squealed like a little girl and jumped away, while I didn't even flinch, keeping my eyes on the dude and my stance ready to fight. And what do you know. When I allowed my eyes to wander over to the car it happened to be a familiar silver Volvo, and Edward himself was here in the flesh. I could hear him clearly when he commanded both of us.

"Get. In. The. Car. Now."

Bella immediately jumped to, clutching the brace to herself. I, however, stared longingly at the guy still standing that was hurrying to help his partners up, wanting to so thoroughly kick the rest of their asses to China and back to America.

"ALYSON GET IN THE DAMN CAR."

I snap out of it, more surprised that Edward swore at me and dived into the backseat, not even getting the chance to close the door before he made the car jump forward to make the men on the street scramble in fear, before turning around and driving towards the harbor.

"Put on your seatbelts." He commands again, and I sigh loudly muttering just loud enough for both of them to hear.

"I was about to use them as my kickboxing bag, Edward. You ruin all my fun…" I sigh sarcastically and pull my seat belt on.

Edward suddenly growled, louder then I could have and said back to me. "I would have done it myself, and I would have killed them…" He trails off. And he pulls the car to a sudden, jerking stop.

"Are you okay?" Bella asks worriedly.

"No." He states lividly.

"Bella? Alyson?"

"Yes.." My head tilts to the side to watch him curiously.

"Are you both alright?" I blink at the fury I see just on his side profile.

"Yes." Bella mutters huskily.

Yet I say, "No. I wanted to kick their asses some more. Want to go back?"

He shoots a look back at me, before sticking to the road.

"Distract me, please" He orders us.

"I'm sorry, what?" Bella looks at him confused.

I just smirk.

"Just prattle about something unimportant until I calm down. And not you Alyson, I side with you more than anything right now. I don't want to have to turn this car around and go back to finish up your job."

I smirk wildly.

"Ummm.. I'm going to run over Tyler Crowley tomorrow before school?"

I saw him twitch!

"He's telling everyone at school that he's taking me to prom - either he's insane or he's still trying to make up for almost killing me last . . . Well, your remember it, and he things PROM is somehow the correct way to do this. So I figure if I endanger his life, then we're even, and he can't keep trying to make amends. I don't need enemies and maybe Lauren would back off if he left me alone. I might have to total his Sentra , though. If he doesn't have a ride he can't take anyone to prom. Or….I could just get you, Alyson, to umm…politely tell him off, you seem to handle yourself well in that aspect."

"Bella….dangerous subject…" Edward hisses. "But, I heard about that."

"YOU did? If he's paralyzed from the neck down, he can't go to prom either…" She trails off.

Edward sighs.

"Better?"

"Not really"

"We can always go back to finish the job Eddy! I mean, you can take two, I can take two and we'd just go off…" A cold hand slapped itself onto my lips, effectively shushing me manually. And I just raise my eyebrows. I think we all knew that I was tempting him with my speech. But he kept my hand on my mouth, even if I was done.

"What's wrong?" I see Bella eye his hand on my mouth, even if I wasn't looking in her direction.

"Something I have a problem with my temper, Bella….and Alyson." He firmly kept his hand on my lips, and I was starting to enjoy the coldness of his skin, and the hardness of it. And was mightily tempted to lick him. I bet he tasted very sweet too. "But it wouldn't be helpful for me to turn around and hunt down those . . ." He trails off purposefully, but I mutter around his hand.

"Rapists."

And consequently, his hand tightened his hold on my face, but this time, he leans back, takes off my seatbelt, and pulls me into the front of the car, basically being halfway into his lap, with my legs draped over the middle compartment.

He actually secures both of his hands on my mouth, and I swallow, gulping loudly while twitching nervously. I've…actually had no intention of getting this close to the opposite gender… And I see that Bella totally wanted to be in my position, a flash of jealousy crossed her face, and I caught it out the corner of my wide eyes.

He gives me a very dark stare, his eyes were seriously pissed off, his everything was royally pissed off.

"At least…that's what I'm trying to convince myself without Alyson's help…"

"Oh." Bella intones.

I just glared at Edward from the corner of my eye when Bella gasped.

"Jessica and Angela will be worried. We were supposed to meet them."

He gave me a warning glare before letting me go and letting me climb back into the back seat, where I put the brace that Bella returned to me back on.

And he started the engine without speaking, speeding back to town.

My attention turned to my brace, my eyebrows furrowed. My knee should have started swelling or cramping up or something. I carefully unbuckle it again, scrutinizing the condition of my knee. It looked just like my uninjured knee, and felt like it too.

I placed it in my bag, and felt Edward park. I see Angela and Jess exit La Bella Italia.

I whisper. " The Italian Beauty…"

"How did you know where…?" Bella trails off and opens the car door. And Edward opens his door too.

Bella looks at him, surprised. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking you, and you too Alyson, to dinner." He all but mandates. I sigh and step out the car. He was waiting for us on the sidewalk.

He spoke before any of us could. "Go stop Jessica and Angela before I have to track them down, too. I don't think I could restrain myself if I ran into your other friends again."

I smirk, cracking the knuckles of my fingers one by one. "I think I can handle a rematch for sure… whenever you're ready, Edward." He slaps his palm on my lips once again, and I just roll my eyes.

"Jess! Angela!" Bella yells after the two. They rush right back over, a few feet away from us, and their facial expression charge with surprise when they see who's holding their hand over my mouth, and seeing the hand held over my mouth period. They hesitated.

"Where have you been?" Jessica asks suspiciously.

"Umm..we got lost…" She admits sheepishly. "And then we ran into Edward."

"Would it be alright if I joined you?" He asks, and from this close range, I could basically feel the texture of his voice upon my skin. I just raised an eyebrow at him and his techniques, seeing him glance quickly at me. They have officially been…dazzled.

"Er….sure." Jessica pants, not really.

"Um, actually Bella, Alyson, we ate while we were waiting - sorry." Angela speaks up.

"That's fine - I'm not hungry."

I cough just loud enough as if to say to speak for yourself.

"I think you both should eat something." Edward's sexy voice was barely audible, yet what he said was not his opinion. It was his order. He speaks louder. "Do you mind if I drive Bella and Alyson home tonight? That way you won't have to wait while she eats."

"Umm… no problem, I guess…" She was biting her lip, indecisive.

"Okay. See you tomorrow, Bella, Alyson…and Edward." Angela steps in and pulls her toward their car. Jess waved, and we waved back.

We waited before they drove away before we dropped our pretense and I stepped away from Edward's hand, only to have him tighten his grip on me, making me squeak in his hand. He, again, shoots me a really daring look and hisses to me.

" I know how to deal with you, later."

I raise my eyebrows. I gotten the message already, before he drops his hand and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Honestly, I'm not hungry." Bella insisted.

"Humor me." Eddy replies, glancing at me before walking to the door of the restaurant, and held it open for us, wearing a slightly stubborn air of grace.

I immediately took the lead, playing my part and dropping into a deep curtsy before him before entering the restaurant with my head held high, shoulders back, and core tightened in the best possible posture.

I see the host immediately mentally fuck Edward, and then turn towards the rest of us. She was tall. As tall as me in my heels. So around 5'10". While I was actually 5'7 ½" without the heels. And she was unnaturally blond. I immediately straightened up, sashayed over to Edward and cuddle up to him, kissing his cheek and holding his hand. I laid my head into the crook of his neck, breathing out.

"I don't like how the bitch is mentally wondering how to get you into her bed…I'm definitely not jealous, just protective of my best friend." And I shivered as my lips pressed over his neck before turning back to the hostess and smiling innocently at her.

"A table for three?" His voice was deliciously alluring. I saw her eyes flicker towards me first, eyeing me up and down quickly and I saw her facial expression tighten. She absolutely had no chance. Even if we were going together. I had no chance to talk about myself, have I? Well, here's the chance, then. What she saw:

I was wearing a nice white blouse, a bit tight around the breast area, but covered down to my waist. And was buttoned down, except for the top two buttons to allow a slight peak at my size 36B cleavage. Yet that wasn't my asset. My asset was that my black skirt and red heels created enough color clash to accentuate my long, muscular legs excellently. And over all, the height that was added to me by the heels helped me appear more intimidating which I read on her face like an open book.

She lead us to a table that was basically in the center of the most populated area.

Bella was about to sit before Edward shook his head. I slightly stepped forward, giving a cough.

"Actually, could we have a more private table?" I stared at her not in the least bit angrily, yet she took it upon herself to get the most private area.

"How's this?"

"Perfect." Edward basically purred at her beside me, and she was definitely and officially dazzled.

"Ummm…your server will be right out." She stumbles away as we take our seats. Edward on one side, Bella and I on the other.

"You shouldn't really do that to people." Bella started. "It's hardly fair."

"Do what?"

"Dazzle them like that - she's probably hyperventilating in the kitchen right now."

He looked puzzled.

"And you…..you….I have absolutely no words for you, Alyson…but it did work…I …." She trails off, muttering.

I just raise my eyebrows, amused, and turn to my menu.

"Edward, you HAVE to know the effect you have on people."

"I dazzle people?"

"You haven't noticed? Do you think everybody gets their way so easily? And Alyson you purely intimidate people…"

I only smile slyly.

"Do I dazzle you?" He asked. And then looked at me. "Or you?"

"Frequently." Bella admits.

I just smile politely at him, shaking my head. "Umm.. No comment. You are my best friend."

And then our server arrive, having clearly heard from the hostess. She smiled cheerily. Okay, then. I'm going to have to turn a bitch away.

"Hello. My name is Amber, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?" She spoke only to him, and my eyes had narrowed. Okay. Be that way. I'll fix that quickly. I don't take any shit from anyone.

"Ah yes! I'll have a sweet tea with lemon, no ice, and a water on the side." I smiled coldly at her standing up, and casually sliding over to Edward's side of the table, and laying my head on his shoulder, asking. "Ah…Bella, honey, what would you like to drink?" I nuzzled into his side, purring just loud enough for Amber to hear as I pressed my face into the crook of his neck, and ran my hands through his hair.

"I'll have a Coke." She was clearly flustered.

"Two Cokes, one water, one iced tea with lemon." Edward's vocal chords buzzed against my lips with use.

After a tense moment, I pulled my head away and checked around Edward to see if she was still here and I smirk triumphantly.

"Two whores down, millions more to go…"

"What?" Edward was staring straight at Bella.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Edward poises his question to me now. "And you're alright, I suppose?" He grins crookedly.

I just nod, shrug, and chuckle to myself, scooting away from him slightly for personal space and cross my arms.

"You don't feel dizzy, sick, cold..?" He pursued.

"Should I…?"

He chuckled.

"Well, I'm actually waiting for you to go into shock. The exception is you Alyson, I'm waiting for you to calm your self down…"

"I don't think that will happen." Bella replied, glancing at me quickly. "I've always been very good at repressing unpleasant things."

"Just the same, I'll feel better when you have some sugar and food in you. Both of you."

As If by magic, the waitress appeared with our drinks, and a basket of breadsticks. She stood completely tuned into Edward, and I quirk my brows. Well, if this isn't a persistent whore…

"Are you ready to order?" All Edward here.

"Bella? Alyson?"

I took things to another level. "Oh damn… I seemed to have lost my menu…can I borrow yours dear?" I didn't wait for an answer, I boldly scooted myself back over to his side, and placed myself in his lap, his actual lap and took his menu searching. I actually knew what I was going to get, but I wanted the bitch to suffer. I looked over my shoulder to Edward.

"Baby, I don't know what to decide. There's just too many choices here." I give him a look, a slight smile crossing my face as I turn back to the menu, and I feel him play along, wrapping his arms, cold, hard, and muscled, around my abdomen, and he places his chin over my shoulder, reading the menu.

"The Chicken Salad looks good. Yet...I can't decide between that or the Crab Meat Salad." I all but whine to him. And I engage in a silent staring contest with him, allowing my eyebrows to raise, before the waitress gives a slight cough, and we turn back to the menu. "Umm...your order please?" She looked seriously pissed off. Haha.

"Oh! I'll have the Crab Meat Salad, please. And for you Bella?" I stare directly past the waitress to Bella.

"Umm…I'll have the mushroom ravioli."

"And you?" Amber turns to Edward, clearly disturbed as I was running my hands through his hair with the corresponding hand, and caressing my cheek against his softly, feeling the cold hardness of his skin against my soft, warm cheek. God, if I just was in love with him…

"Nothing for me." He said.

"Let me know if you change your mind." The coy smile returns, yet she still had an eyeful of me acting affectionately with Edward. She all but ran out of the area, leaving us in peace. And a moment of silence passed before we all busted out in laughter, while I slid off his lap and into the seat.

"Holy shit, that was GREAT. You should have seen her face when she watched you two!" Bella was the loudest, and was cracking up hysterically.

I nod my head, seriously. "Thank you, thank you very much." And I took a sip of my water, and couldn't stop, drinking it all within a matter of seconds, before transferring to the sweet tea, drinking only half of that slowly. When I pushed the half full glass away, I had missed Bella slurp up both Edward's and her own drink.

"Are you cold?" Edward asked. I say Bella shiver from the brain freeze.

"It's just the coke."

"Don't you have a jacket?" He glanced at me too, and corrected himself. "Do you both not have your jackets?"

"No." I supplied, as if to ask what he's going to do about it. I did have on a long sleeved blouse, or rather the sleeves were pulled up to my elbows, revealing my slightly veinly, muscular arms.

"Yes…Oh, I left it in Jessica's car." Bella realized.

Edward immediately shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to Bella. I watched Edward out the corner of my eye. Who could not see the way his turtleneck hugged his chest. And he had an expensive-looking tan leather jacket that was being handed to Bella. My eyes furrow in surprise. Tan leather is actually very expensive. And it looked very genuine too.

I was brought out of my thoughts by Edward's compliment.

"That color blue looks lovely with your skin." He watched her. And she blushed.

He pushed the bread basket towards her.

"Really, I'm not going into shock," she groaned.

"You should be - a normal person would be. You don't even look shaken. Especially you Alyson." I folded my hands upon the table, staying silent.

"I feel very safe with Alyson. …and you." She confessed.

He shook his head, disappointed.

"This is more complicated then I'd planned…And you're even more difficult." He started out staring at Bella, but then he turned his golden glance in my direction.

I smiled back innocently.

"Usually you're in a better mood when your eyes are so light." Bella changes the subject.

And I cough. "Usually everybody's eyes darken when they're not happy…" I cough again, covering my mouth. I wanted to add, *…or hungry*,but I don't think that would have been a good idea.

"What?" Edward however, was stunned.

"You're always crabbier when you're eyes are black - I expect it then. I have a theory about that."

"More theories?" His eyes narrowed, yet they became slits when they fastened themselves on me. I picked up my iced tea, glancing at him from the corners of my eyes.

"Mm-hmm."

"I hope you were more creative this time… or are you still stealing from comic books?" nI crack a smile at this.

"Well, no, I didn't get it from a comic book, but I didn't come up with it on my own, either." She confesses. And I bite my lip, closing my eyes. Damnit Bella…I don't think you should have told him this…

"And…"

But the bitch of a waitress strides right through the archway with our food. And I sit back, crossing my arms over my chest, blatantly glaring at her. All three of us had been hanging over the table, we sat back in our seats. She sets the dishes in front of Bella and I, and turns to Edward quickly.

I slide my hand onto Edward's thigh, and slowly rub on him, smiling at Bella innocently while running my fingers up his hard, muscled abdomen, to wear she clearly saw my actions as I use my other hand to caress his chest sensuously and I whisper loud enough so they all can hear me..

"Edward, babe, I absolutely love your turtleneck. I hoped you bought it for me, later tonight…" I run my hands up and down his abdomen, and he stares at me, quite surprised, yet grinning and he grabs my hands, whispering just as loud as I had.

"Aly-honey, you know not to do this in public, remember what happened last time? We got caught by the manager of that diner with your hands in my pants, while you were under the table. You naughty girl you…"

She flushed angrily, yet still managed her official, standard English context.

"Did you change your mind? Isn't there anything I can get you?" I pout my lips at Edward before he released my hands and I took one good long look at him dramatically licking my lips before digging into my food.

"No, thank you, but some more drinks would be nice."

He gestured to the empty cups on the table.

"Sure."

She removed all the empty glasses expertly and walked away.

I put down my fork with a clank and pushed the plate away, cracking up laughing. "OH MY GOD. YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE LOOK ON HER FACE."

Bella and Edward both share a look with me before rolling their eyes and continue on with their conversation. Bella giving me a real long look before returning to her food.

"You were saying?" Edward asks.

"I'll tell you about it in the car. If…."

"There are conditions?" I pause, tilting my head and staring at Bella too.

"I do have a few questions, of course."

"Of course."

He spares a glance at me, for a long time, and I just raise my eyebrows at him.

The waitress came back with all our drinks and placed them without a word onto the table, and vanished.

"Why are you in Port Angeles?"

He looked down, folding his large, long hands onto the table and he gave Bella a coy look.

"Next."

"But that's the easiest one." She protested.

"Such a stalker Edward…" I whisper without looking at him and took another bite of my salad. I very much give him a look that he is going to explain this ability to show up at the exact right time.

"Okay, then." I could tell Bella was getting frustrated with him. "Let's say, hypothetically of course that someone could know what people are thinking, read minds, you know - -with a few exceptions."

"Just one exception," he trails off . "I mean just two exceptions. Hypothetically."

"All right, with two exceptions, then. How does that work? What are the limitations? How would that someone find two someone elses at exactly the right time? How would he know they were in trouble?" She raced on.

And I added. "Hypothetically of course."

"Well, if ..that someone.." Edward began.

"Let's call him 'Joe'" Bella supplies.

I just raise my eyebrow again.

He smiled amused. "Joe, then. If Joe had been paying attention ,the timing wouldn't have needed to be quite so exact." He rolls his eyes. "Only YOU could get into trouble in a town this small. You would have devastated their crime rate statistics for a decade, you know."

"We were speaking of a hypothetical case." Bella chills the air.

"Yes we were. Shall we call you Jane and you Diana?" He turns to me for a second. I take another forkful of my salad, chewing thoughtfully.

"How did you know?"

I could see a battle within his frame. I noticed the tightening of the jaw, the hands, the muscles in his wrists, and the fact that he was staring completely in Bella's eyes.

"You can trust me you know?" Bella whispers, reaching out to his hands, but he recoiled slowly, and she pulled her hand back.

"I don't know if I have a choice anymore. I was wrong - you, Bella, are much more observant than I gave you credit for, and you, Alyson, I simply underestimated your entire persona." His voice was strained, in a whisper.

"I thought you were always right."

"I used to be. I was wrong about both of you. You're not a magnet for accidents - that's not a broad enough classification. You are a magnet for trouble. If there were anything dangerous within a ten-mile radius, it will invariably find you. And Alyson, you put down trouble, for anyone, Bella, and others."

"And you put yourself into that category." Bella interrupts.

"Unequivocally." He replies.

She reached for his hands again, this time following his movement and placing her fingers on the back of them.

"Thank you. That's twice now."

His face and voice softened. "I think Alyson would have easily taken them out of commission if I hadn't shown up, but between the two of us, Alyson and I, we have saved you twice now. Let all three of us not try for a third time, agreed?"

I blinked, considering that a compliment and nodded my agreement.

"I followed you to Port Angeles. I've never tried to keep a specific person alive before, and it's much more troublesome than I would have believed. But that's probably just because it's you. Ordinary people seem to make it through the day without so many catastrophes." He paused after that long cascade of sentences.

Bella was smiling. And I know specifically why. She liked having someone like Edward as a stalker. "Did you ever think that maybe my number was up the first time, with the van, and that you've been interfering with fate?" She rushed on herself.

"That wasn't the first time… for either of you." His voice was quiet, even if I was sitting inches away from him. "Your numbers were up the first time I met you."

I only blink, muttering. "So that's why you were holding your breath and nose…."

He glanced sharply at me, staring me in the eye before turning to Bella. His gaze said, later.

"You remember?"

"Yes." Bella gives.

"And yet here you both sit…" He seemed a bit more amused and incredulous then was healthy.

"And yet here we sit….because of you.. . Because somehow you knew how to find me today…?"

He stared at her hard, before staring at me just as hard, if not a bit more intensely then with Bella.

"You eat, I'll talk" He commands.

"It's harder than it should be - keeping track of you two. Usually I can find someone very easily, once I've heard their mind before." He looked anxious, staring at Bella mainly, yet I caught a few stares in my direction.

I murmured. "We have a mind reader here…"

"I was keeping tabs on Jessica, not carefully - like I said, only you could find trouble in Port Angeles - and at first I didn't notice when you took off on your by your two selves. Then, when I realized that you weren't with them anymore, I went looking for you at the bookstore I saw in her head. I could tell you hadn't gone in, and that you'd gone south . . . And I knew you have to turn around soon. So I was just waiting for you, randomly searching through the thoughts of people on the street - to see if anyone had noticed you so I would know where you were. I had no reason to be worried . . . But I was strangely anxious." He looked into space over Bella's head.

" I started to drive in circles, still . . . Listening. The sun was finally setting ,and I was about to get out and follow you on foot.; And then -" He clenched his teeth in fury.

"Then what…?" we whispered together.

"I heard what they were thinking." He growled, his upper lip curling slightly back over his teeth. "I saw your faces in his mind." He leaned forward suddenly, one elbow on the table and his face in his hand.

"It was very… hard - you can't imagine how hard - for me to simply take you away, and pull Alyson off them and leave them… alive." His voice was muffled. "I could have let you both go with Jessica and Angela, but I was afraid if you left me alone, I would go looking for them and finish them off for good." He admitted in a barely audible whisper.

I just clear my eyes from watching him, and shake my head. "I would have let you off the lease for sure…nobody, and I mean nobody wants me as their enemy." My eyes flash to the doorway and I see a slight shimmying of the fabric.

I dig into my purse, the only one I have pull out a pen and a small square of paper and start writing.

"Are you ready to go home?" he asks.

"I'm ready to leave." Bella speaks for both of us.

And Amber appears by our side, and I smirk, pulling a twenty dollar bill out of my purse without anyone noticing, folding it together with the paper.

"How are we doing?" she asks Edward.

"We're ready for the check, thank you." His voice, I could certainly tell was strained from the conversation.

"S-sure. Here you go." She pulls the leather booklet holding the check from her pocket and hands it to him.

He, having the bill already, opened the booklet, placed the money in, and handed it right back to her. "No change." And then he stood.

I gracefully swung to my feet, and helped Bella out of her seat.

"You have a nice evening."

He didn't even look at her as he thanked her.

After they both left, I just sigh softly, and put the twenty in her hand, whispering to her. "Sorry…"

And I walked out watching both of their bodies as I followed them out.

He opened both passenger's door and the door behind that for us, and shut them for us.

Once in, he started the engine, turned the heater on, and pulled out into traffic with ease, heading towards the highway.

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	10. Chapter 10

I was REALLY getting a headache and Bella's somewhat whining wasn't helping. I pinched the bridge of my nose, taking deep breathes. Inhale, two three, exhale two three, inhale, two three.

"Can I ask you just one more please?"

He sighed loudly.

"Okay," yet I noticed that his lips were pressed into a thin line, and I find myself wondering what in the hell am I doing looking at his lips.

"Well you said you knew we hadn't gone into the bookstore, and that we had gone south. I was just wondering how you knew that."

I waited patiently, yet I had a suspicion I already knew the smelly truth to this question. And this pun was intended.

"I thought we were past all the evasiveness," Bella huffed.

"Fine then. I followed your scents."

Right. On. Target.

"And then you didn't answer one of my first questions…"

He flashed a look at her. "Which one?"

" How does it work - the mind-reading thing? Can you read anybody's mind, anywhere? How do you do it? Can the rest of your family . . . ?"

I was actually interested in the series of question she had rushed on about: I elevated my head slightly, leaning my head back against the headrest, and listening intently.

"No, it's just me. And I can't hear anyone, anywhere. I have to be fairly close. The more familiar someone's 'voice' is, the farther away I can hear them. But still, no more than a few miles. It's a little like being in a huge hall filled with people, everyone talking at once. It's just a hum - a buzzing of voices in the background. Until I focus on one voice, and then what they're thinking is clear.

"Most of the time I tune it all out - it can be very distracting. Ands then it's easier to seem … normal" - he frowned slightly - "when I'm not accidentally answering someone's thoughts rather than their words."

"Why do you think you can't hear me? I mean us." Bella asks.

He now stares at me, and I stare back emotionlessly, blinking slowly and I allow a small smirk to crawl across my lips, before looking into the distance.

"I don't know," he barely audibly replies. "The only guess I have is that maybe your minds don't work the same way the rest of theirs do. Like your thoughts are on the AM frequency and I'm only getting FM."

"My mind doesn't work right? I'm a freak?" I rolled my eyes allowing a small sigh to leave my lips as I mutter just loud enough for Bella to hear the icy tone in my voice.

"Bella…you're self doubt is making my own self-esteem plummet. I'm going to start doubting my own self defense abilities soon, because my self esteem is so low…"

I believe they both got the hint.

"I hear voices in my mind and you're worried that you're the freak?" He laughed. "Don't worry, it's just a theory . . . Which brings us back to you."

She sighs herself.

"Aren't we past all the evasions now?" He says softly.

I close my eyes, still very alert.

"Holy crow! Slow down!" ….she just noticed? Oh Bella…how sweet and unaware you are…

"What's wrong?"

"You're going a hundred miles an hour!"

I mutter just loud enough.

"Bella, I go AT LEAST a hundred when I'm just getting to school…"

"Alyson you are SO NOT helping!"

"Relax, Bella." I can see Edward's eye roll from here, even if he wasn't looking anywhere near my direction.

"Are you trying to kill us?" She was still shouting, and therefore the headache that was slowly retreating came back with such force that it made me flinch, and I held my forehead.

"We're not going to crash."

"Why are you in such a hurry?" She softens her voice.

I mutter, darkly humorous. "He's obviously trying to get you out of the car as quick as he can…"

"ALYSON! That's not funny!" I click open my seatbelt when I see her start to pout, and I scoot forward, wrapping my arms around the seat, Bella in all, and started to speak in a baby voice.

"I'm so sorry. You know how much I love you so…"

I sit back in my seat, quite satisfied at the blush that was spreading across her cheeks and smirk broadly.

"But why are going so fast?"

"I always drive like this." He turns his golden eye gaze all the way back to me in the backseat, and I stare alarmed at him. But before I could reprimand him, Bella does it first.

"Keep your eyes on the road! I know Alyson's gorgeous and all, but I don't want to die!"

I choke on my air, and claw at my throat, trying to clear it.

"Bella, I am far from gorgeous! You know that is bullshit!" I felt a blush creep up my neck.

And Edward swerved the car, sharply. And I slammed into the door behind Edward, cursing in my breath, and breathing shallowly. And I buckle myself in place, sort of adrenalized from the near collision with the window, and I rub my forehead again. And right after that, Edward manages to say in a barely strained voice.

"I've never been in an accident. Bella - I've never even gotten a ticket. Built-in radar detector." He tapped his forehead, and I observed him from the back seat.

I noticed how tense his neck was, the chords of muscle were slightly bulging, and his shoulders were held stiffly. I could see one hand on the steering wheel, and I could see the stretch of skin over his knuckles, the veins of his arms, stood out, running from the back of his hands up to his forearms, disappearing into his turtleneck.

This sparked a memory. I remember a familiar situation, which all three of us were present…I was trying to pinpoint it…pursuing the familiarity in my head, and pursuing it till I've got my mind set on the fleeting thought, and memories were flitting through my head like a slideshow, when I suddenly spotted it, the show stopping until I recognize the scene: the first time Bella and I met Edward Cullen up close and personal. And knowing the what I know now, he was pissed off because Bella smelt so good to him. Or maybe it was both of us. I'm leaning towards the latter.

Oh shit….I smell appetizing to Edward Cullen, but then, why hasn't he swerved when Bella blushed..…

I tuned in right in time to heard Bella make the biggest mistake she has made yet so far.

"His dad is one of the Quileute elders. We went for a walk - and he was telling me some old legends - trying to scare me, I think."

"Go on…"

She actually turns in her seat to look at me, and she gives me a look.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Alyson. Why don't you tell him the theory. Or rather…you know the reality of this entire situation."

I stare at her, completely stunned, my heartbeat upping itself.

And my wide eyes catch Edward's gaze in the rearview, and I gulp nervously, watching his hands on the wheel tense even harder.

Bella continues, her voice quiet but powerful. "Alyson, you don't have much experience hiding how brilliant you are. What gave you away is that you when I first met you, you watched everything and studied everything with the utmost concentration, as if to store information away for a later use. And the fact I looked up your past records. Damn it, Alyson, your IQ is 180! Alyson, you're IQ means you're even smarter than some geniuses! No wonder you breeze through your classes! Alyson, you know what Edward is. I've seen you eyeing him, ever since you've seen him."

I sit back in my seat, my pupils dilated as I stared in shock at Bella, and then I froze as I caught Edward's stunned gaze in the rearview once again.

The headache returned, to say the least.

And I held my face in my hands, trying to suck in deep breathes.

"Not one word of this reaches to ears outside this car, understood? Understood. Yes… I was tested when I was …ten. And I've had tests each year since that. Each test, I've somehow increased my IQ by ten points each year…" I lean back, throwing my head on the headrest, and rubbing the bridge of my nose. " I've managed to hide how off-the-charts my IQ score is. I didn't like the attention. That's why I hide everything I can. I put myself off as ditzy and stupid and brash…" I smile, laughing harshly. "Both of you looked right through that façade." I said no more, massaging my forehead and looked to Bella, stating this clearly and without wavering in my voice. "Edward Cullen, Alice Cullen, Rosalie Cullen, Emmett Cullen, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, Mrs. Esme Cullen, and Jasper Cullen are all vampires. And it doesn't matter."

"I agree."

"It didn't matter?" His voice was incredulous and angry.

"No. It doesn't matter to me. . .us what you are."

"You don't care if I'm a monster? If I'm not human?"

"No" We both replied at the same time, but I mainly remained silent, emotionally exhausted, and with the headache about to explode.

I let myself drift off, listening to their voices from behind a hazy sound-blocker.

"You're angry. I shouldn't have said anything." Bella.

"No. I'd rather know what both of you were thinking - even if what you're thinking is insane."

"So Alyson's wrong?" Bella challenged incredulously.

"That's not what I was referring to. 'It doesn't matter'!"

"She's right, then?"

"Does it matter?"

"Not really. But I am curious."

"What are you curious about?"

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen"

Maybe physically….

"And how long have you been seventeen?"

"A while…" He admits.

But I intercept this right here. Opening my eyes I lean over the driver's headrest and nestle my fingers into Edward's hair, humming in concentration.

I mutter my theories to the two.

"From the way he moves, you can't tell if he's from this century or the last, but the way he talks does reveal something. You may not have an accent, but you have a specific higher level of Standard English then is heard of in this age…" I pause, running my hands through his hair, studying the texture, and the initial appearance of the hair follicles. "Adding that your hair has not seen any hair gel, or relaxer, or any other harmful hair product that comes from the fifties down to now, I'd say that you're anywhere from the 1890's to the 1910's. " I lean back, unlatching my hands from his hair and sitting back, closing my eyes again.

The power of observation.

"Wow…you're good…" Bella whispers ,and I crack a grin. "Don't laugh - but how can you come out during the daytime?"

"Myth." He laughs anyway, and I have a hard time concealing my smile.

"Burned by the sun?"

"Myth."

"Sleeping in coffins?"

"Myth…" He trails off, murmuring in a whimsical tone. "I can't sleep."

"At all?" My ears prick up to their conversation.

"Never." The exchanged a long look before Edward was the one to pull away. "You haven't asked me the most important question yet." His cold eyes lock on mine from the driver's seat and it takes me a long time to gather breath to ask the question, and I admit, mostly because he was staring at me. Edward Cullen has got to be the most handsome kid I've ever met…

"Do you actually drink the blood of animals?" I whisper.

And unexpectedly, the corner of his mouth twists up.

"The Quileutes have a long memory."

I watch that crooked grin of his, and close my eyes. Damn it. I don't think Bella would get the hint though.

"Don't let that make you two complacent, though. They're right to keep their distance from us. We are still dangerous."

"I don't understand." That from Bella.

"We try. We're usually very good at what we do. Sometimes we make mistakes. Me, for example, allowing myself to be alone with the two of you."

"This is a mistake?"

"He's saying he's desperately holding himself back from eating us, Bella-love." I murmur, my dark humor seeping out again.

A silence filled the car, a confirmation that I was right from Edward, and a state of awe from Bella.

"Tell us more." I hear the desperation in her voice, and I blink confused.

"What more do you want to know?"

"Tell me why you hunt animals instead of people."

"I don't want to be a monster."

"But animals aren't enough?"

At this point, I let myself succumb to my headache, leaning my head against the cold window, and shutting my eyes. Falling off into a deep sleep. I didn't feel like a third wheel, yet I knew when I needed to effectively shut my ears. And it worked out in my favor as well, because the headache was getting a touch unbearable.

I awakened when the soft hum of the engine had stopped, instantly alert, and my eyes darted around the car for anything suspicious…besides Edward Cullen that is.

My eyes assessed Edward's grin before I noticed that Bella was stumbling her way outside the car, and I shake my head. Womanizer.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and raised from the car, walking around the front of it, smoothing out the slight wrinkles in the blouse before helping Bella to the front door. I took a good look at her before she entered.

I take a look over my shoulder before mouthing the words, for I knew that Edward had exceptional hearing.

"You're in love with him." It wasn't a question. She nods, looking up at me, but I was already looking in Edward's direction again, and I was smirking.

"Go get him girl…" I give her a large hug before sweeping around and walking down the steps towards Edward's car. I rub my forehead as I get into the car, on the passenger's side now, and buckle my seatbelt.

He turns on the engine and takes a long look at me directly, the first time since we were in his room.

His tone was inquisitively low. "What did you write to the waitress on that note?"

I allow a large smile to cross my lips.

"Hmm. That's for me to know, and for you to never find out. And let's just say that she will never bother you again if you and Bella decide to dine there in the future. Okay…?"

He thinks over this, raising his eyebrow.

"You don't miss anything…"

I dig in my purse for my ring of keys, and lean over quickly to envelope him in a hug. I feel him stiffen before allowing his arms to surround me.

"Good luck…" I whisper in his ear before slipping out of the embrace and settling to my side of the car

My best girl friend was in love with a vampire, Edward Cullen, my best boy friend as of the moment.

And let me get this straight. Even if Edward is the sexiest being I've ever laid my eyes on, I am not in love with him. And he's not in love with me. Bella and Edward love each other. And I want them both happy.

But that doesn't mean I can't admire Edward's beauty.


	11. Chapter 11

Surprisingly, I slept very well, not. I always sleep well, no matter what happens or what has happen in my past.

I lift myself up from the bed and pad over to the calendar, checking the date and all. My mom and dad should be getting home soon. Two or three days. Do I really need to tell you every single thing I did to get ready for school, which by the way, I only had fifteen minutes to get myself ready for?

Alright, alright!

Okay then. Here's the run down. After getting up, I immediately took my toothpaste and toothbrush into the shower with me, brushing my teeth during the shower, and after the two minute shower. And I've already said that I have dreads. Right?

Well. Yes, I have dreadlocks. And if you have dreadlocks you most definitely not wash them every single day like the everyday gringa. Gringa means white girl in Spanish. I apologize to anyone that does wash their hair everyday.

I wrap a large black towel around my body, finishing the brushing of my teeth to slip into the closet to put on simple underwear and a sports bra. Very supportive, and nothing sexy. I dig up the most comfortable sweat pants and tank top, with a large hoody to go over the ensemble, all clothing different colors of the color spectrum, yet they matched. I check my watch…ah…five minutes to go till the first bell rings. What was I missing…oh! Shoes. I slip on my newer flip flops and get ready to exit the room.

Wait! What else was I forgetting….hmmm. Shower, check. Teeth, check. Clothing, check. What am I missing besides breakfast….Make-up!

I wander over to my dresser. Frown. Look left and right. And back away. Strange. I skip to my bathroom, freeze in the doorway. Frown again. Look left and right again.

Very strange. I see no make-up.

I slap my hand over my eyes. That's right! I have no make-up! That shit ruins the skin and makes you wear even more make up to cover up the blemishes caused by the make-up. Plus it just makes a girl look pasty…

Again. No offense to whoever spends an hour on hair and an hour on make-up.

I simply giggle and skip down the stairs, after shutting my door and into the kitchen where I raid the kitchen for mobile foods. Like granola bars…I take three. And I see pop tarts, I take one bag of those. I search the pantry. I freeze. My eyes flickering back over the spot I simply mistook for a darkened corner. I lean closer. Do I see what I think I see?

I poke it. It crinkles. I poke it again. It crinkles again.

I squeal loudly pulling the thing out of the corner and finding a box of Hershey's Chocolate in my arms and I look left and right, grabbing all my food and sprinting towards the door, where I notice Edward and Bella about to ring the doorbell. I shift everything but the box of chocolates into the pockets of my hoody and I open the door right when Bella raises a finger to the bell.

I blink at them, and look over their shoulders to see the Volvo sitting innocently on the curb.

I look back at them.

"Do you want to ride with us today?

I raise my eyebrow.

"Actually, I was hoping to stop by the gas station somewhere. So, no thanks. See you too later!"

I sprint back in the house, leaving the door open and grab my keys to lock the door, and to get to my own car.

They were patiently waiting in the Volvo and I pop a piece of pop tart into my mouth before reversing out the driveway, narrowly missing Edward's side of the Volvo as I turn out. I look across Edward to see Bella almost having a heart attack, and I smile, waving and mouthing sorry to her, before speeding off to school, hitting 100 mph tops to get there.

After swerving into a parking spot near the Volvo, I step out the car, and wait till Bella gets out before she starts reprimanding me.

"What the hell, Alyson! You drive just as crazy as Edward does! What is up with you? A Toyota Corolla isn't even a car designed for the slightest of speeds!"

I tilt my head, wondering how she knew my car and stuff.

However, I was saved from getting chewed out even more by the sight of Jessica waiting very patiently by the door of the cafeteria with a jacket over her arm.

"Hey, Jessica. Thanks for remembering." I throw the pop tart trash out of my pocket before opening up a granola and taking a small bite of it.

"Good morning, Jessica" Edward said politely. I shoot a look at him, before nodding a hello to Jess myself too busy with getting my energy from my food.

"Er…hi." She looked at Bella and then me. "I guess I'll see you in Trig." She gave us a meaningful look and I narrowed my eyes, nodding slightly.

"Yea, I'll see you then." Bella courageously took the bait.

"What are you going to tell her?" Edward whispers.

"Absolutely nothing. It's none of her damn business, even if she wants to know how the 'date' with you had been." I all but snarled, and they both laughed.

"I can read her mind - she'll be waiting to ambush you two in class."

I crack my knuckles and Bella forcefully takes one hand away from the other and holds my hand. I pout my lips, analyzing the gesture automatically and sigh loudly. "Fine….I won't…do anything brash…I promise."

And she just tightened her hold on my hand and I whimper softly, trying to pull away, half-heartedly. Cause I knew I could break her grip easily…and her hand too. Oh! Sorry! Damn! I have no intention of hurting Bella.

"So what are you going to tell her?"

"A little help? What does she want to know?"

He grins, evilly. A..uh..sort of becoming look for this young man.

"That's not fair."

"Life's not fair either, now choke it up."

I lean against the doorway, putting my hands in my pockets, staring as Edward deliberates with himself.

"She wants to know if either you and I are secretly dating, or if Alyson and I are secretly dating, or if I am secretly dating both of you at the same time, given that you two know it or don't know it. And she wants to know how you two feel about me."

I feel the muscle of my jaw twitch the slightest of bits, but luckily it was on the side that was facing away from Edward.

"Yikes. What should I say?"

"I'd say yes to all of them. Make something up you know.. Yes we're all dating at the same exact time, having a freaky three-way, and yes we're both hopelessly in love with you."

I give out a laugh, pushing myself from the wall and walking to my first period, waving at them over my shoulder. "See you two at lunch."

I purposefully stop, and push myself through a couple of gulping idiots. "Excuse me. This is a hallway, not an art exhibit. Seriously, what happened to the good old days when people knew how to walk straight to class in a straight line…"

I disappear into my first period class, feeling really good. Partly because I had a bunch of snacks in my large pockets. Yes, today was going to be a good day. Until I get to Trig.

Once I hit the doorway, several minutes early, I panic, and I hide behind Mr. Varner's desk, looking over the top discreetly, while others walked in. And until Mr. Varner walked in himself.

"Alyson! Why in god's name are you in my personal space?"

He just had to make a scene?

"Well..uh..you see. Mr. Varner..uh..why aren't you looking very handsome today…and uh…."

He gives me THE look. THE Look that tells if you don't get straight to the point, you'd be spending the rest of your life in detention.

"Well..I'm hoping to avoid gossipy actions with my fellow gender. And I was wondering if I can stay here during the entire period, you know?"

I hear a lot of titters. And I look up at Varner with my puppy dog eyes, just watering them the slightest.

He just shakes his head and points to my desk and I squeak, flitting myself down the aisle to the very last row to sink in my seat, pulling the hood over my head in hopes to hide myself from Miss Gossip Queen Jessica.

No chance of that. Because Bella herself appeared out of thin air and snatched the hood off as she sits in a desk, two seats over, for Jess to indisputably get both sides of the date last night.

Oh..shit..I was never really good at the girl giving up all sort of information about something so private to another girl thing.

I start whimpering and squirming.

And then Angela enters.

She sits.

The bell rings.

Hell for the next hour has just begun.

"Tell me everything!"

I didn't say a word, hopefully she would just be preoccupied with just Bella's story.

No such chance.

She turned her bright grin in my direction and asks me.

"So what happened with your side of Edward.

I decided to play with her a tiny bit.

"Oh my GAWD, Jessica. He is just so SEXY. Okay, okay, digest this." My voice lowers considerably. "He saved both of us from four..not one, not two, but FOUR would-be rapists! OMG! And get this, yea the waitress was pretty, but she wasn't the one that got to press her face into Edward's neck twice, run her fingers through his hair twice, sit in his lap and call him baby and honey and babe, cheek nuzzle him, and basically feel him up for two minutes, all in the precious space of fifteen minutes!" I feint swooning, and falling out of my chair, silently, though some students did look back at me, and I got up off the floor and sat right back in my seat, raising my eyebrows in Jess's jaw-dropped direction.

"Jessica. I am hopelessly in love with Bella AND Edward."

I sigh loudly, twirling a lock in my fingers, and biting the tip of my pen as I watch as Jessica turns to Bella for confirmation. Where Jessica gets the FULL detailed story of my heroic deed of pushing a potential suitor of Edward Cullen away.

Yet she was still pretty awestruck that I actually had PHYSICAL CONTACT with the one and only Edward Cullen.

. . . 

Lunch bell!

I flip my hair over my shoulder, and flounce out of the classroom to see Edward mere meters away from the actual doorway, leaning against the wall. You know how sexy he is…

And I immediately burst out laughing, actually having to put my books by my feet and lean all my weight into the wall, to laugh to the full extent this situation called for. Especially when Bella and Jess came out the window and spotted us on either side of the door, making me lose my breath with all the laughter.

I slowly let my laughter subside, I was always a big laugher. It was how I stayed in shape. I pull myself off the wall and smile gallantly.

"See you later, Bella. And…Alyson." She gave me a real long look.

I blink innocently.

"Hello." Edward sounded both exasperated and amazed.

'Hi." Bella replies.

And I just give a quick, curt salute.

The walk to the cafeteria. I was watching everybody scramble out the way not to walk into us. Reminded me faintly of "Mean Girls".

I hum happily, twirling my way to the Cullen table we used the other day.

They were getting the food.

Speaking of food, I finished every single snack and I was sort of hungry. I fidget in my seat and almost drool at the sight of a large tray of food.

I waved over to the large group of seniors that were staring at us, and happily stole a banana from the tray of food.

As soon as I got back to the Cullen table, I had set fort at watching Edward's and Bella's every blink.

"You really didn't notice?"

"No, I wasn't paying attention. I had a lot on my mind…" He ads as an afterthought, looking at me. " and lap."

I give a very large smile.

"Poor girl." Bella looks over to me. "Poor, poor, poor girl."

I cover my mouth, fluttering my eyelashes at Bella.

"Something you said to Jessica . . . Well, it bothers me."

'I'm not surprised you heard something you didn't like. You know what they say about eavesdroppers." Bella softly and gently reprimands.

I, however… "Oh you didn't? Well…Jessica may have taken it the wrong way . . . you never know….." I smirk.

He rolls his eyes. "I warned you I would be listening."

"And I warned you that you didn't want to know everything I was thinking."

"You did," he nods his consent. "You aren't precisely right, though, Bella. I do want to know what you're thinking - everything. I just wish . . . That you wouldn't be thinking some things."

I flashbacked the entire conversation with Jessica, quickly and recognition dawns on me. Oh….

That's quite a distinction.

"But that's not really the point at the moment."

"Then what is?"

"Do you truly believe that you care more for me than I do for you?"

He murmured, staring intently at her.

I stared between them both, noting both their positions, and their body language, especially Bella's turn of the hair and her quite loud exhale.

"You're doing it again."

"What?"

"Dazzling me."

"Oh."

"It's not your fault. You can't help it."

"Are you going to answer the question?"

"Yes."

"Yes, you are going to answer, or yes, you really think that?"

"Yes, I really think that."

I really silent silence crept over the battlefield.

Edward's voice wove the white flag. " You're wrong."

"You can't know that."

"What makes you think so?"

I witnessed Edward's facial expression turn frustrated.

"Let me think." Bella's finger came up.

I was sort of getting tired of this Lovey-Find fault with me (Bella) - you really are attractive (Edward) - thing. I look at my watch, and then at them, then at my watch a second time.

"And what do we have over here?" Alice finally asked me.

I lean towards Alice and I put my head right near hers to stare over at the two. And I smirk, whispering.

"Spying on the two from over here is much more fun than pretending not to look and analyze their precise body language, voice intonation, and meaning behind the meaning behind their words."

I snicker quietly, watching Alice's bright grin turn in favor to me, before looking back over there.

"Exactly."

I tune in, just in time to read the preference of Emmett's favorite animal to hunt, from Edward's lips….why am I staring at his lips again? Oh wait, I've always been staring at his lips to read them. Duh.

Reviews = Caring.


	12. Chapter 12

After lunch, I ruffled my hair going to class, barely noticing everyone's stares. Wow, what's their problem?

Staring makes me… feel weird.

Sorta.. Well anyways.. Off topic.

Mr. Bio Teach Banner came through the doorway, huffing and puffing over a large television, pushing it into the center of the room.

Without a further ado he shoves a VHS tape into the VCR and shuts the lights off, making my senses hyperaware of everything going on. And I hunch over the desk, very alert of Edward to the right of me, and Bella on the other side. I really didn't feel like opening my eyes, I was far too comfortable within my hoody. So, yes, I feel asleep, during the most interesting movie in the world.

A countless number of minutes later, I awakened to Edward's cool, smooth voice.

"Well, that was interesting."

"Umm.." Bella looked very breathless to me. Or maybe it was just my poor, oh so poor eyesight.

I just smirk, standing and stretching, elongating every muscle in my body and yawn loudly.

Tucking my hands into my pockets I exit the Bio room and wander off towards the Gymnasium.

Today's sport is….tennis. I'll be truthful, tennis is one of my weaker sports. Not because the amount of coordination, muscle control, and stamina. Just because I don't like to play in skirts. YES! That's the only reason! I despise skirts, and playing a sport in them.

Later….

"OH COME ON, YOU CAN DO BETTER THEN THIS, HIT THE BALL HARDER, BELLA!"

I shout loudly, lightly volleying the ball over to her side, and she fails to hit it back as hard as the game intends for it to be, the ball falls short of the net.

I lean over, hands on my knees, and sigh loudly, tennis racket balanced near my knee. DAMN!

"ALYSON NOBODY IS AS GOOD AS EVERY F-ING SPORT AS YOU ARE! YOU'RE A NATURAL ATHLETE! AND I HAVE NO COORDINATION WHATSOEVER EVEN TO TIE MY SHOES WITHOUT FALLING."

During this, she furiously slams the ball back over to me, and giddily return it over to her side, with just as much power. However, that one perfect hit was all she would be able to do for she swung the racket the wrong way and ended up hitting herself in the face, and I stop, sweat rolling down my face and the gym suddenly blistering hot, I strip off the gym shirt, leaving myself in a sports bra, and I wipe my forehead.

"Can I PLEASE get another partner?"

Laughter fills my side of the room as someone escorts Bella over to the benches and another victim steps up. I analyze the guy, yes a guy, and I smirk.

"You look like a formidable opponent."

He smiles back, getting ready to serve, bouncing the ball a couple times and pausing. "You already are the best player in here."

He arches his back up, throwing the ball up, and fires the ball in my direction, and I quickly back hand it over the net, making him run for it.

"Why thank you!"

I already see a few people stop their own games to look towards ours. And hopefully their eyes are on the ball, and not my sports bra-d body. They're not that big, but yes, I do have to wear a bra. Sometimes, I think I would have been better suited as a boy…

Later…

After showering for two minutes, I meet back up with Bella, just in time to save her ass from a brooding Mike.

"So." Mike started.

"So what?"

"Alyson and you are into Cullen, huh?" Mike asked.

I appeared behind him, a murderous glint in my eyes.

"That's none of your business, Mike."

"I don't like it."

"You don't have to!" Bella snarls.

"He looks at you like . . . Like you're something to eat."

I bite my lip to keep from laughing. Oh the irony..

"Is there a problem, Newton?"

No matter how tall he was, I could really glare somebody down. I've been told. I noticed how he shrinks away from me, muttering a quick no and running off.

"Pussy…." I mutter myself, and turn on my heel, to lean against the double doors, to wait for Bella to dress. I look out the door to see Edward leaning against the door next to me, but on the other side. I raise my eyebrow, lifting a few fingers to wave in his direction.

We were making light conversation, commenting on things that happened throughout the day and the like.

When the bell rings, I back into the door, opening the door for passing students, and Bella.

When she finally gets there, I lift my leg, placing it on the door divider to stop Bella.

"Password please?"

I tilt my head, smirking tantalizingly.

She rolls her eyes. "Alyson is better than me in any other sport possible."

I pout my lips at her. "Although that was a good guess, I believe you're wrong."

Although I was paying attention to her, I could see Mike's furious gaze on all three of us.

Bella just ducks under my leg and almost hits my leg coming up.

I whistle innocently, pulling my leg up in a flexible maneuver, raising my eyebrow at her.

"You're head would have been toast if you did hit my shin. I pat it softly. "Hard muscle baby."

I lower the leg, throwing a glare in Newton's direction before heading towards the parking lot, digging my keys out of my pockets.

When outside and nearing Edward's Volvo, I stop in my tracks, because on the other side of the Volvo, was a Red M3, BMW, convertible.

"Oh, shit!" I all but sprint over to the car, drooling over the model. "Oh my god…." I check out the wheels, and choke on my breath. Stainless steel rims.

I almost faint. I wanted to check up under the hood so badly. My fingers were twitching. Rosalie Cullen appeared moments later, along with half the little town's population getting in the way of my scrutiny.

I sigh loudly, walking to the other side of the Volvo, waiting for the couple to appear.

I wave silently to the two, before getting into my own car and peeling off to my little career at the hospital.

And the very next day, nothing really happened. Biology passed the same way it did yesterday, Me sleeping.

Gym, we got badminton and I didn't really try to hard on that spectrum.

After school, I …sort of had to get a physical for Hospital records seeing as how I work at the hospital, and …Dr. Carlisle would be the one to conduct it.

So, after screeching away again I sped all the way to the hospital and parked, haphazardly across the lot from the black Mercedes Benz.

I scramble into a side entrance, only accessible to those with cards, and I sneak to my office, only to be stopped by a large, cold hand on my shoulder.

"Now, Alyson Porter, you know you cannot sneak by me. I have exceptional hearing."

I squeal and race towards the girls bathroom, on the other side of the hall, but before I could even take a step, he grabs me by the back of my neck, lightly of course and steers me none too gently into his office. Yes, Dr. Hottie's office.

"Now, now. It won't be too bad."

I mumbles. " Lies!"

Later….

The physical examination.

My current age: 15 years old, 8 months, 20 days.

Weight: 139.

Fat index: 4.0% ( How much of your body is fat)

Muscle index: 91.7% ( How much of you body is muscle)

Height: 5'9"

Shoe size: 9 ½

"Alyson, it is highly unusual for someone to almost two inches in a single month."

He write something down.

"Up on the treadmill."

An hour and fifteen minutes later, I was crouched over a chair, gulping down water by the second, and also a few swallows of Gatorade.

"It took you 74 minutes and twenty four seconds to get out of breath. Phenomenal." He writes again.

My legs were BURNING.

"On your back right here."

He points to a shoulder press machine thing.

Ten minutes later. Fifty pounds later. And 5 reps of 10 later.

HOLY FUCK! My entire body was burning.

I roll off my back and land on my hands and knees, gasping for breath as sweat rolled from every place on my body. My hair, tied up in a tight, high ponytail. My neck and shoulders and chest, thoroughly soaking the bright colored sports bra, and my shuddering abdomen, hugged tightly by spandex shorts. And of course, I was wearing running shoes.

I glare up at Carlisle. "Anything else, Doc?" I all but snarl.

"Of course, dear! There's the mental evaluation, next."

My heart stops, and I drag myself to the showers. Oh. Fuck. . .You must be kidding me. Time to bullshit my way through things again.

ANOTHER SHORT ONE, BUT STILL GOOOOD. I hope. xD


	13. Chapter 13

Charlie didn't really notice me, until I showed an inexplicable amount of focus, energy, and interest in all sports. So, he invited me over to watch the game!

Excited as I was, I had to ask for a day off from Carlisle. It turns out that I had only bullshitted my way through the IQ test enough to score a 120, which would be a little bit above average. Thank god!

Woot. Anyways. After asking permission to take off work, I was going to Charlie's!

You know, as much as I'd enjoy going over two houses over with only a sports bra and spandex shorts on, I knew Bella would probably kill me in her very rare occupation of Fashionista at her own house.

So….I drag myself to take a shower, and came out in a towel, only to dry off in thirty seconds and throw on some underwear and a fitted bra, this time, and walked into the closet, yawning. I need some coffee.

I came out wearing a red and white striped tank top, and some loose black shorts. I put on my running shoes, and run out the door with my keys, wallet, and cell phone.

I ring the doorbell to Bella's house, and waited only a minute before the door opened, and a dark skinned boy, with shiny black hair.

I smirk. "Hello, Jacob. It's been a while, hm?"

He nods, allowing me to come in.

"Did the game start yet?"

He shakes his head, and I turn to stare at him, smiling.

And I stroll to where Charlie's television is, only to stop in my tracks. Because the dude in the wheelchair was staring at me, before I even entered the room. I know. Instinct.

I immediately crash on the couch near Charlie and look to the television, and then over to the Quileute.

"Hi, I'm Alyson!" I extend my hand out in a handshake, and he eyes me carefully, a slightly familiar expression glinting in his eyes as he scrutinizes. And I just stay carefully still.

"Billy Black," he says in a deep voice, after a silence of thirty seconds, in which the time that he scans me , I return the favor.

Even though he was in the wheelchair, he demanded command of this room, and one would find themselves, suddenly with the best posture in the room, even me. The guy was huge, not old in the least, but he was pretty up there, middle age, and the guy was still handsome, and muscular, you could see the stretch of his muscular strength across his shoulders and arms.

He enclosed his larger hand around mine, and I promptly shake. His hand was slightly hotter than the normal human body temperature. And from the fact that this man seems like he was a commanding officer, he either is currently the pack Alpha, or was the Alpha in the past. I look to Jacob, who was in the kitchen with Bella. He looked every bit as to follow his father, if he hasn't already.

I return to the television, watching as the game starts, and I relax, completely, smiling in contentment.

And my eyes caught a slight expression of smugness on Billy's face, and I think wistfully. Almost as if he was one up on somebody…like a rivalry…..ooh . . like the vampires versus the werewolf nemesis. But why would he be one up? He knows something I don't know.

When the game ends, and my voice mostly hoarse, we all stand up to stretch and slowly attract ourselves to the door, where I stayed in the background as the adults talked. I just leaned against the closest doorway.

And Billy looked at me, in the eye causing me to straighten up to attention.

"And Alyson, call me if you ever need anything. Anything, you hear?"

I nod, blinking only the slightest, analyzing his words and vocal tone.

He says this as if I'm going to have to call him in the near future.

I followed Billy and Jacob out, and nodded a goodbye to all of them and walked to my pad and immediately went upstairs to fall on my bed.

THE VERY NEXT DAY AT SCHOOL, I let myself on autopilot on most of the day, pretty much dissecting Billy Black's character.

So, from the way that Billy quite bluntly crossed the boundary, I'd say that Billy was a werewolf leader, and that he no longer transforms, or whatever. I sigh, closing my eyes and rubbing my forehead. I have to figure this out. Otherwise this would be eating at my brain forever.

Billy Black expects something to happen to me for me to NEED to call him. And by the smugness on his face….

I jerk up into reality, adrenaline flushing my system, and my eyes dilate.

He expects me to turn into a werewolf…

But how? I run my fingers through my hair, flinching.

I have to look at my birth certificate and adoption certificate again…

And the only reason why I can say that he looks smug, is that I believe since Bella knows Edward, I know him too, and since she hangs out with a Cullen, I do too, and therefore, I would be a werewolf close to the Cullens, and what? Keep them in line? HA! Even if I did happen to have the genetic makeup to turn into a wolf, I'd have to say that seven on one in favor of the vampires would not be the best way to state a case or whatever.

I smile.

So. A werewolf over the boundary that does not break the treaty.

How cunning of God. I look up, and smile.

And then turn to pay attention to the rest of school.

After school, I rushed home, hitting 120 mph. Thankfully no police were in sight, and my tired squealed as I reversed into the driveway, enthusiastically.

I bust open the door, barely having time to close it and all but vanish into the kitchen, digging into the drawers looking for that envelope.

Cold fingers grabbed my heart, and I quickly draw up a glass of water and sit down at the table.

I slowly open, and with shaky fingers, I read my fate.

Name: Alyson Uley

Date of Birth: January 20, 1991

Nationality: Native American (Quileute)

Date: July 21, 1993

Age: 2

Summary: Under extraordinary situations, a baby should have died. Abandoned in the throes of Winter, the baby was found at the adoption center's doorstep, with a heavy blanket, and a note only saying her full name. We took her in, and within the first few years of her stay, we notice that she exudes a highly advanced level of intelligence in her two years of life. She doesn't cry as often as the others, she stares at us, not in an awkward manner, but as if she knows exactly what we feel, or what's going to happen. She is not a psychological tampered child, yet she has a deep level of understanding. If I may say so myself, I would have adopted her, but, something tells me that that wouldn't be the best idea, and when I look at this little girl, with her intelligent dark eyes, I know she's going to be something big, someday and dare I say, she will be quite the looker and have quite the shape for a young lady. As she started walking, her legs grew very long for a little lady, and she would stay to herself, yet when with me stay by my side. Something is watching over this little girl, I believe. She emit's a deep feeling of divine intervention or divine watch.

Elizabeth Maria Acton.

I down the entire glass of water with one go, and I lay my head on my crossed arms, shuddering as a tear rolls down my face. I pull out my cell phone and send text to both mom and dad's cells.

~ I love you guys so much, and I thank you for adopting me in the first place, and you ARE my real mom and dad. LOVE YOU SO MUCH. XOXO.

I smile and carry on upstairs, emotionally exhausted. Brushing my teeth, and wrapping my hair, I fall into bed, drifting off to sleep immediately.

Dreamland:

Again, I am running through the trees, dodging sudden roots, and thick trunks with my highly flexible body, yet, my fur bristles with a warning. Wait! Fur! I screech to a halt, and a mirror appears so I could begin to inspect myself. Oh fuck…as a wolf, my fur was the darkest, of black. My body was thick with quivering muscle, and my size came very close to that of a horse. I notice that the forest looked, smelled, and sounded SO much sharper than was normal, human. I could smell the deer that galloped five miles away to their respective homes, and I could hear the slightest twitch of a blade of grass when the wind blows, and I could see the leaves on a tree hundreds of feet in front of me. All in all, the body ROCKED.

And I have began to notice that I had indeed stopped at the boundary line, I came upon the line, and transformed back into my original form. Or rather, my form, but sharpened. I felt so much taller, and muscular, and still, although my senses were dull in comparison to my wolf counterpart, my senses were very much sharp. I looked towards the La Push side of the boundary, seeing Sam Uley, Jacob Black, and a lot of others, and I smiled, waving towards my…brother.

And again, Bella was happily beside Jacob, and my eyebrows furrowed as I stared at them.

I felt a chill run down my back, and I turned towards the Forks boundary, watching as Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, Carlisle, and Esme walked gracefully out of the tree line.

I frown again. Another person was missing. As if they knew what I was thinking, everybody, including the wolves looked at me sadly, and I turned to Bella and Jacob, they looked just as sad, but sad together.

Everybody's voice chorused together in two words, that chilled my blood.

Save him.

I feel myself shudder, and I look down, seeing myself perfectly balanced on the now solid line between the two conflicting species.

Yet when I look up, everybody was in a circle around me, and the boundary disappears.

Alyson, you have to save him. You're his best friend, Alyson. Save him!

My blood races through my veins as I look at them all.

What?

I fall out of bed with a loud yelp and I land on my back, my blood still rushing.

What the fuck?

I swallow, dry mouth, nervously running a hand through my hair, and my cell phone rings loudly, making me jump.

I wipe my eyes and reach for the cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Alyson! Um….you know how you were supposed to go to Seattle with me….well, umm…we're not going, but instead we're going out with Edward…is ..is that alright with you?"

I frown, pulling myself up and heading downstairs to the kitchen, to turn on the coffee maker, and I look to the clock.

"Okay….Did you ask him if it's okay with him that I go with you on your date?"

"What? It's not a date! …"

I smirk.

"Precisely. Ask him, Bella. And if it's okay with him, I can go. And tell me what time too."

I close the phone, yawning loudly and hurry off to the shower.

Five minutes later, toothbrush in my mouth, my cell phone rings again, and I pick it up.

"Yes, Bella?"

"Um, yea, he said it was alright with him. And something about knocking two birds out with one stone. So ..whatever that means…"

I chuckle. He's going to show us something vampirely.

"Okay Bella, how much time do I have?"

"Umm…five minutes."

I laugh. "Okay, Bella, I'll be there."

I hang up and finish brushing my teeth, to calmly walk into my closet. I pull a pair of dark jeans out, pull that on, after the underwear, and I look for a t-shirt and sweater. I find a long-sleeved blue blouse, and a sweater vest that was black. And after pulling on some black tennis shoes, I walk out, with a thermal of coffee, and I lock the door to walk over to Bella's.

I ring the doorbell, and I sip upon my coffee, only to feel a slight chill and my heartbeat speeds up as I slowly turn around to face Edward.

I blink, rubbing the spot on my chest above my heart.

"Hello…Edward." I take a step to the side, allowing him to step up beside me. What exactly would I need to save him from? My thoughts returned to the very vague dream from last night as I absentmindedly sipped my coffee.

"Alyson…" He nods. And Bella opens the door to see both of us.

I scan her from head to toe, and Edward the same way.

A smile twitches at the corner of my lips.

Right.

I laugh. "You guys match, that's hilarious."

Bella locked her door while I walked over to her truck, scanning the inside seats.

"We have a problem here. Who's going to sit on who's lap?" I turn to Bella.

"We made a deal…he has to sit in the passenger's seat by default." Bella explained.

"I call driver!" I yell, jumping up and down. "That means YOU have the choice of sitting up front with Edward…or in the cabby."

She groans at me, throwing the keys and I catch them jumping into the truck spryly and turning on the engine.

It slams itself to life and I wince. "Oh, that hurt.." I rub my ear, and I watch amusedly as Bella blushes about twice just walking up to Edward as he sits in the passenger's and as she climbs up into the seat, between his legs.

I gun the engine, frowning. "Oh man….Where to?"

"Take the one-oh-one north." Edward commands, and I salute him mockingly.

"Sir, yes, sir!" I drive as horribly fast as I can in this car, hitting the welcome speed of 50 mph.

"Bella, were we planning to make it out of Forks before nightfall in this thing?"

"This truck is old enough to be your car's grandfather - have some respect."

And I snort, and she reaches across to smack me in the back of the head and it turns out into a full fledged laugh.

I'll tell the truth, I didn't know my way around too much, but I could just follow the signs!

"Turn right on the one-ten."

I complied.

"Now we drive until the pavement ends."

"And what's there, at the pavement's end?" Bella asks.

"A trail."

"We're hiking?"

"No we're going to hunt animals."

I cover my mouth with a hand, driving with the other and turn to look at Bella as she glares at me none too happily.

"Is hiking a problem?"

I mutter. "Considering the fact that the girl is as clumsy as I am flexible…."

"No" Bella lies.

"Don't worry, it's only five miles or so, and we're in no hurry."

We better not be. Bella is the most accident-prone person I've ever met.

"What are you thinking?"

"Just wondering where we're going."

"It's a place I like to go when the weather is nice."

I look out the window, noting the thin beams of sunlight.

"Charlie said it would be warm today."

"And did you tell Charlie what you were up to?"

"Nope"

"But Jessica thinks we're going to Seattle together?"

He seems pretty hopeful about this notion.

"No, I told her you canceled on me - which is true."

"No one knows you two are with me?" He sounded pissed off now. And I knew that he had insecurities with his control, or so he thinks.

"That depends . . . I assume you told Alice?"

"That's very helpful, Bella." I wonder why he's not snapping on me too…

"Are you so depressed by Forks that it's made you too suicidal?"

"You said it might cause trouble for you . . . Us being together publicly."

" So you're worried about the trouble it might cause me if YOU don't come home?"

Whoa, there buddy.

The tension between the two was tangible. I think they should just kiss and make up.

I smile and the road suddenly narrows into a trail, and I turn the truck around, with a little maneuvering skills and park it on the side, facing the way we just came.

I jump out the truck, blinking when the warmth hits me surprisingly. I hide myself on the other side of the car as I take off both vest and blouse, and put back on the vest. It was large enough to cover the necessity and I unzipped it enough to show a tiny, tiny bit of cleavage and it didn't exactly meet the waist band of the jeans. The vest of course had no sleeves.

I step away from the truck, and hand the keys to Bella as she was freaking out.

"No trail?" She turns to me, freezes, looking me up and down and shakes her head.

"I won't get you lost." He turns around, and I'm not going to say that my vocal chords constricted in surprise, but yes, they did, at the sight of his unbuttoned sleeveless self, revealing all the glory of being sculptured so beautifully.

I pull my eyes away from him to stare at Bella, who was much worse off then I was.

"Do you want to go home?"

I step in.

"Actually, she wants to feel you up badly. Especially when you're shirt is opened like that."

I smirk, and nudge Bella forward toward him.

His expression turns thoughtful, and I see the moment of realization.

"I'm not a good hiker. You'll have to be patient." She ignores me.

"I can be patient - if I make a great effort."

The silence made him second guess himself.

"I'll take you home."

"If you want me to hack five miles through the jungle before sundown, you'd better start leading the way."

I blink and look at him, and he frowns.

He just gave up and started leading us through the forest.

I'd be all transcendentalist, but after a while, the green was just a blur. So I'll save you the green, and just let you know, it got to the point where I had to carry Bella on my back, as we trekked behind Edward deeper into the forest.

"Are we there yet?" Bella.

"Are we there now?" Me.

Edward points ahead. "Do you see the brightness ahead."

"Um, should we?"

"Maybe it's a bit soon for your eyes."

I scoff lightly, kicking some dirt towards him, and hitch Bella up higher onto my back.

Bella jokes lightly and we started to see the brightness.

When we walked, well I walked, Bella hang on, I walked through the sudden clearness of space, and I held in a gasp at the beauty of this small, round meadow.

Flowers everywhere, the sound of a stream, sunlight completely filled the meadow, and the grass soft as I knelt so Bella could disembark.

I stood back up, and looked for Edward who was not behind us anymore.

I spotted him, still in shade, and I beckoned him with one finger, highly curious.

His eyes, wary and reluctant, was sort of cute. Just like when a puppy smells a persons hand, seeing if they are trustworthy or not, and Bella sees him too, gesturing with her hands too.

Bella took a step forward, and he held a hand up a hand in warning.

And I beckoned with my entire hand now.

It wasn't until both of us were beckoning and "Come Hithering" with both arms, that Edward, taking a deep long breath, stepped out into the bright, luminescent sunlight that lit up the entire meadow. . .

If he wasn't beautiful before…

This boy is so beautiful. My jaw just dropped.


	14. Chapter 14

Edward Cullen laid perfectly still in the grass, his cold, hard skin sparkling like a crystal, with a flashlight pointing at it from all sides.

My eyes drank in the heavenly site, and my fingers were stroking his glittering large hand. You know, the glitter stuff didn't make him look girly at all. On the contrary, it made him look all the more exotically handsome.

I myself was enjoying the sunlight, laying on my stomach on Edward's right, as Bella was sitting up.

I traced the contours of his hand, lightly fingering the gentle play of veins as they run up his hand to his forearm. Piano playing hands. I actually pick his hand up and with both of mine and I look closely at his fingers.

Long. Neatly cut nails, slightly calloused, and veiny.

I looked up at him, and deftly sized my hand up against his: Wow. I bite my lip to keep from laughing. Although my hand is pretty large for a woman, his hand is larger. And if I do say so myself, my hand isn't too much smaller.

"I don't scare you?" Edward asks playfully.

I shake my head, spreading his fingers apart with my own, to check the webbing. That sparkles too.

"No more than usual." Bella replies.

"Do you mind?" I could sense the hesitation in her voice. I could feel her eyes on me, and I look down, not meeting her gaze, smirking, as I follow the lines of his veins up his arm, gently.

"No, you can't imagine how that feels."

I pause slightly, raising my eyes to his face, to see his eyes close, and I raise my eyebrow, continuing the maze of veins.

After conversing with Bella, I hear his smooth voice closer to my ear.

"Is there something interesting with my arm."

I hold it up veins facing him, and show my own arm, dark and just as veined as his.

"Yes, actually. You play an instrument, I presume?"

He stares at me stunned, as Bella. "Quite observant, you are."

I smile brightly. " You have the long fingers, neat fingernails, and veiny forearms. All the evidence of a music player."

He stares at me, a smile crossing his lips, and he nods towards my own hand.

"Piano. And you?"

He doesn't stop there, he actually turns my hand and traces my own veins up to my forearm, where he stops. His eyebrows raise. My heart skipped a beat or two.

"Piano, flute, and violin." I whisper.

He has not sat up, and he was facing the two of us, and I could smell his pleasantly, sweet and intoxicating scent from here, and my eyes flicker close, and my lips part, saliva glands overproducing and I lean forward, inhaling deeply.

Big. Ass. Mistake.

He rips his hand from my arm and was gone. I opened my eyes, licking my lips to find Edward at the far end of the meadow, staring straight at me, which surprised me. Not Bella. My eyebrows furrow.

" I'm . . . sorry . . . Edward." Bella whispers. And I glance at her, eyeing her posture. It had changed. Damn. She was smelling him too, I bet, and that's probably why he fled. I refuse to believe it was my own scent that made him flee. I've been told my Alice herself, that Edward thinks Bella is his so-called Singer.

I could see Edward's dark pupils from here. And what upset me, was that he was still staring directly at me. We were going to have to talk when I come over his house later tonight.

"Give me a moment."

I laid back, and folded my arms underneath my head, giving myself cushion.

A few seconds later, I hear Edward sit beside us, and his presence gives me some shivers.

He paused, and looked over to both of us alternatively.

"I am so very sorry. Would you understand what I meant if I said I was only human?"

Was it me or did I see Edward's gaze linger on me? I stayed silent. Well, my body was turned so that his knee was near my head. And with the way the vest was unzipped, I'd have to say that either he had an incredible fascination with my zipper, or he was looking down my vest.

My lips twitch, and I see Edward glance away. If only Edward Cullen could blush.

His joke makes sense now. I'm probably going to get chewed out for being 'naked'. He still very is old fashioned.

"I'm the world's best predator, aren't I? Everything about me invites you in - my voice, my face, even my smell. As if I need any of that!"

He for the lack of better terms, snapped.

He had disappeared, instantly appearing where he had been in under two seconds.

"As if you could outrun me."

Well, technically, if Billy Black was right, I'd be able to keep up…

I tilt my head, watching curiously.

He laughs, sending a shiver down my spine.

He reaches up and effortlessly rips a gigantic branch from the trunk of the tree, balanced it, and threw it at another tree, almost knocking that one out.

I sit up slowly.

Edward appeared a few feet in front of us.

"As if you could fight me off."

Again….Billy Black doesn't think so.

I stared at him, narrowing my eyes, and watched as he came off his high, and sat by us again, completely into calming Bella down…as if he knew that I absolutely needed no comforting…which, I have to say, I really didn't. It'll be my turn to chew him out later tonight.

His show of prowess certainly intrigued me instead of scaring me away.

"Please forgive me."

I smile.

"I'm not thirsty today, honestly."

I choke back my laughter, looking to Bella now.

"Are you all right?"

I rub at the calluses on my hand, and look up in time to see Edward's brilliant smile.

"So where were we before I behaved so rudely?"

I smirk, leaning closer to examine the bicep of his arm now, carefully stroking the hard, marble of muscle on his arm.

"I think you forgot one thing about yourself that you said you didn't need? Your voice, your face, your smell."

Edward smiles ashamed, yet takes the bait. "What did I miss?"

"Body." I gesture to his toned abdomen, and arms as evidence.

Bella lets out a snort and I smile brightly.

Edward just rolls his eyes. " I think we were talking about why Bell was afraid, besides the obvious reason."

"Oh, right." I snort delicately.

"Well?"

Silence filled the three of us, the natural sounds of forest filling the silence.

"How easily frustrated I am."

I laid back on my back, closing my eyes as I enjoyed the warm of the meadow, drifting in and out of their conversation.

I listened to their conversations, and I was very alert when I heard what he said.

"So Jasper wasn't sure if he'd ever come across someone who was as appealing as you are to me. Which makes me think not. Emmett has been on the wagon longer, so to speak, and he understood what I meant. He says twice for him, once stronger than the other."

"And for you?"

"Never."

My eyes open, listening carefully now.

"What did Emmett do?"

I didn't have to see Edward's expression to know what Emmett did.

"I guess I know." I know I know.

"Even the strongest of us fall off the wagon, don't we?

"What are you asking? My permission? I mean, is there no hope, then?"

"No, no! Of course there's hope! I mean, of course I won't . . . It's different for us . Emmett . . . These were strangers he happened across. It was a long time ago, and he wasn't as …..practiced, as careful as he is now."

"So, if we'd met . . Oh, in a dark alley or something. . ."

"It took everything I had not to jump up in the middle of that class full of children and - When you, when you both walked past me, I could have ruined everything Carlisle has built for us, right then and there. If I hadn't been denying my thirst for the last, well too man years, I wouldn't have been able to stop myself."

I blink. Me too? How was I supposed to factor into this?

He gazed directly down at me, and my eyes widen. Well, I was trying to stay incognito, but I guess my false sleeping wasn't too much believable.

"You must have thought I was possessed."

"I couldn't understand why. How could you hate us so quickly . ."

"To me, it was like you were some kind of twin demons, summoned straight from my own personal hell to ruin me. The fragrances coming off both your skins . . . I thought it would make me deranged that first day. In that one hour, I thought of a hundred different ways to lure you two from the room with me, to get you alone. And I fought them each back, thinking of my family, what I could do to them. I had to run out, to get away before I could speak the works that would make you follow . . ."

He didn't look away from me, as he all but whispered.

"You would have come."

I give him a look, pursing my eyebrows, and he only slides his gaze to Bella.

And I understand.

I would have followed Bella.

"Without a doubt."

"And then, as I tried to rearrange my schedule in a pointless attempt to avoid you, you were both there - in that close, warm little room, the scents were maddening. I so very nearly took you then. There was only one other frail human there - so easily dealt with."

"And there's the fact that there were two of you with remarkable scents. . .

"But I resisted. I forced myself NOT to follow you two home. It was easier outside, where your scents were not potent, and I decided I had to leave. Carlisle and I switched cars, his with a full tank of gas, and I was in Alaska, by the next morning. I spent two days there. . ."

He continued on, very pained.

" I came back. I thought who were two little human girls to chase me from my own home. But I took every precaution I could, hunting more than usual, before seeing you two again. And then there was the complication of me not being able to read your minds. I am not used to having to circumspect, listening into Jessica's mind, which was by the way highly irritating."

I smirk, mouthing. "Serves you right, Edward." And I know he can read lips, because he just simply glares down at me. I snicker softly, reaching my arm out and flicking his nose.

"And the avoidance of the car crash. A car just had to come out of no where and attempt to crush the both of you. The two girls with the most dangerously intoxicating scents in the school. I told myself I had a perfectly good excuse for why I acted - if your blood had spilled, in front of me, I couldn't have held myself back from exposing who we are."

"At the hospital?" Bella asks quietly.

He laughs, almost bitterly. " I was appalled at myself. And as if I needed another motive to kill both of you. I knew you were highly perceptive, but Alyson, if I didn't know that you were very perceptive, I knew that you were even more perceptive then Bella. It was either having you two eventually figure out what we were, or killing the both of you and God knows what would happen.

I fought with Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper, while Carlisle and Alice sided with me while Esme wanted me to do whatever was right for us to stay here. . .

All the next day, I was trying to figure out if any of you said a word to anybody, and was shocked that nobody suspected anything. I didn't understand you two. And I still don't understand you two, but I couldn't become more involved with you. I did my very best to keep myself away. And everyday, your scents bludgeon me, hitting me as hard as they did the very first day. . ."

Okay . . . I preferred not to get into his head, so naturally, I just fazed over most things he said, dismissing things with a casual blink of the eye.

But, what made my eyes clear and ears prick was when he settle his fingers on my forehead.

"You two are the most important things to me now. The most important to me ever."

Oh fuck . . . Mushy things up ahead, countdown in T-minus thirty seconds . . .

I stand up, stretching my muscles hard, to get them working and I mutter something about getting a head start to the truck. And I grab a stick from the ground, almost as tall as me and I precede to leave the two to whatever love-making ritual ceremony they wanted to get themselves into.

You know, a part of me, less than my ten percent mind of a girl, felt a stab of pain, a slight jealousy. I knew that Bella and Edward were made for each other. My thoughts turned to my dream of last night.

I don't need to save Edward, right now. He's perfectly happy wherever he is.

I feel a tear trickle down my cheek, and I choke my tears back.

The girl part of me is sad that I would be the third wheel in this little threesome of ours, yet, I knew, that Bella was my best girl friend, and Edward is my best boy friend.

I close my eyes, leaning against a tree, breathing deeply.

I am not in love with Edward Cullen. I am his best friend. And you know what? I say that I love Edward as a friend, and I will forever be there as a friend to both of them.

More tears cascade down my face.

But WHY am I crying? Edward was perfect for Bella. Bella was perfect for Edward. How in the hell does Jacob come into the picture. My thoughts turned back to the dream I had a few nights ago…

I can't save Edward from true love. I'm just a bystander. Edward Cullen is at least 100 years older than me, he can take care of himself as far as I'm concerned.

But why was my heart breaking.. Just why.. I don't understand.. Situation not computing.

I drop the large stick I had and swiftly scaled a tree that had a large, thick branch that was sort of low to the ground and laid stomach down on it, cheek pressing against the moist bark as the sun warmed my skin.

I closed my eyes, to stop the build up of tears.

Fuck. I do not love Edward Cullen. How could I? I just met him. It would be best if I were to simply lock these feelings of .. What… feelings?

Anxiety, jealousy, fear, loss, confusion, and pain. I breathed into the tree branch, letting out a small sob and imagined a miniature version of myself slowly packing away large words into a safe with a thousand types of locks, combinations, keys, and passwords. After each word was carefully placed, mini me slammed shut every single type of lock, and then placed the keys and combinations into their own safe and locked that too.

A tear finally rolled down my cheek and into the bark of the tree, as I drifted into a state of semi-consciousness.

"Alyson…" I heard a smooth voice keep repeating my name and I opened my eyes to look into the golden eyes of Edward, and I smiled sleepily at him.

"Yeah?" I looked down at him on the ground and he was looking up at me.

"You really fell asleep for 30 minutes…?"

I shrug slowly and roll backwards off the branch, twisting my body several times and flipping over to land on my feet a few feet away from him.

He only gives me a look of warning before throwing me on his back and sprinting off towards who knows where with me squealing on his back in delight.

"!"

Damn, he can run.

Yes, I was completely an adrenaline addict, I enjoyed his speed, and when we got to Bella's truck, seeing her sitting, and pale-looking, I was breathless, pupils dilated, and I slid off his back.

"No wonder you speed in a car…"

I lean against the truck, calming my heartbeat, as I looked the other way, politely as Edward somehow had gotten Bella to agree for him to drive us home.

Actually, I knew how, because I was listening.

He's pretty smart for a vampire.

I allow myself a large smile, while opening the passenger's side of the truck.

I slide in, and slide the seat back so Bella can sit on my and we can perfectly fit in the seat belt. Honestly, I was probably going to snooze a little on the ride back.


	15. Chapter 15

Edward Cullen, like all vampires, I'm sure, drove very well. Another perfect thing about a perfect guy. Well, you have to admit, Cullen is indeed the ideal man. Something was telling me dangerous territory up ahead, and so I took that as the cue to stop thinking about Edward.

And then we were suddenly in a conversation about his age.

"I was born in Chicago in 1901." Before he even continued I calculated the year. It was 2006, so he's at least 106 years old. I placed my head against the rest and listened in. "Carlisle found me in a hospital in the summer of 1918. I was seventeen, and dying of the Spanish influenza."

My ears perk.

"I don't remember it well - it was a very long time ago, and human memories fade. I do remember how it felt, when Carlisle saved me. It's not an easy thing, not something you could forget."

"Your parents?"

"They had already died from the disease. I was alone. That was why he chose me. In all the chaos of the epidemic, no one would ever realize I was gone."

"How did he…save you?" Bella asks. I chose to stay quiet, because the most information that you can receive is from being unheard.

From the corner of my eye, I could see him carefully pick his words over.

"It was difficult. Not many of us have the restrain necessary to accomplish it. But Carlisle has always been the most human, the most compassionate of us . . . I don't think you could find his equal throughout all of history." My ears prick.

Through how much history, exactly?

"For me, it was merely very, very painful. He acted from loneliness. That's usually the reason behind the choice. I was the first in Carlisle's family, though he found Esme soon after. She fell from a cliff. They brought her straight to the hospital morgue, though, somehow her heart was still beating."

"So you must be dying, then, to become…."

"No, that's just Carlisle. He would never do that to someone who had another choice. It is easier he says, though, if the blood is weak."

Subject. Terminated.

"And Emmett and Rosalie?"

"Carlisle brought Rosalie to our family next. I didn't realize till much later that he was hoping she would be to me what Esme was to him - he was careful with his thoughts around me." I smirked slightly. "But she was never more than a sister. It was only two years later that she found Emmett. She was hunting - we were in Appalachia at the time - and found a bear about to finish him off. She carries him back to Carlisle, more than a hundred miles, afraid she wouldn't be able to do it herself. I'm only beginning to guess how difficult that journey was for her." He took a prolonged glance at Bella.

"But she made it."

"Yes." He whispers in a soft tone. "She saw something in his face that made her strong enough. And they've been together ever since. Sometimes they live separately from us, as a married couple. But the younger we pretend to be, the longer we can stay in a given place. Forks seemed perfect, so we all enrolled in high school." His laugh was music to my musically trained ears. The perfect pitch. "I suppose we'll have to go to their wedding in a few years, again."

"Alice and Jasper?"

"Alice and Jasper are two very rare creatures. They both developed a conscience, as we refer to it, with no outside guidance. Jasper belonged to another . . . Family, a very different kind of family. He became depressed, and he wandered on his own. Alice found him. Like me, she has certain gifts above and beyond the norm for our kind."

"Really? But you said you were the only one who could hear people's thoughts."

"That's true. She knows other things. She SEES things - things that might happen, things that are coming. But it's very subjective. The future isn't set in stone. Things change."

I tilted my head to the side, catching that hint of emphasis.

"What kind of things does she see?"

"She saw Jasper and knew that he was looking for her before he knew it himself. She saw Carlisle and our family, and they came together to find us. She's most sensitive to non-humans. She always sees, for example, when another group of our kind is coming near. And any threat they may pose."

"Are there a lot of… your kind?"

"No, not many. But most won't settle in any one place. Only those like us who've given up hunting you people can live together with humans for any length of time. We've only found one other family like ours, in a small village in Alaska. We lived together for a time, but there were so many of us that we became too noticeable. Those of us who live . . . Differently tend to band together."

"And the others?"

"Nomads, for the most part. We've all lived that way at times. It gets tedious, like anything else. But we run across the others now and then, because most of us prefer the North."

"Why is that?"

Oh, I don't know Bella…I'm pretty sure they don't want to be seen as the sparkling gods they are and the sun shines for 15 hours a day in a lot of places…

God, I'm sorry. My sarcasm was beginning to surface from being in the background for too long. My bad.

We were finally at Bella's house and he turned the truck off.

"Did you have your eyes open this afternoon? Do you think I could walk down the street in the sunlight without causing traffic accidents? There's a reason why we chose the Olympic Peninsula, one of the most sunless places in the world. It's nice to be able to go outside in the day. You wouldn't believe how tired you get of nighttime in eighty-odd years."

"So that's where the legends came from?"

"Probably."

"And Alice came from another family, like Jasper?"

"No, and that is a mystery. Alice doesn't remember her human life at all. And she doesn't know who created her. She awoke alone. Whoever made her walked away, and none of us understand why, or how, he could. If she hadn't had that other sense, if she hadn't seen Jasper and Carlisle and known that she would someday become one of us, she probably would have turned into a total savage."

A very subconscious, and petty thought, that I think is funny. How cute would this vampire be if he just had an English accent? I can just imagine it!

And Bella's stomach speaks up.

"I'm sorry, I'm keeping you from dinner."

"I'm fine, really." Liar, liar, pants on fire….

"I've never spent much time around anyone who eats food. I forget."

"I want to stay with you." Oh wow, Bella. You have balls. For real.

"Can't I come in?"

"Would you like to?"

"Yes, if it's all right." Edward Cullen, this shy girl would let you into her bed- oops, I'm sorry. All girls excluding me, would let you into their house….and bed. …Hehe…I'm sort of perverted. Yes. So what, bite me, and then sue me.

He had just closed the door, when he opened the passenger's.

"Very human."

"It's definitely resurfacing." I crack a smile as I slide out after Bella.

He opens the door for us and I follow after Bella, yet she pauses.

"The door was unlocked?"

"No, I used the key from under the eave."

She allowed me to pass her and I kick off my shoes and make my way to the kitchen.

"I was curious about you." I heard Edward defend himself.

"You spied on me?"

God you're such a love-stricken stalker idiot, Edward.

"What else is there to do at night?"

I roll my eyes and begin to go through the fridge like it was my very own. Oooh….Lasagna.

I take it out, just in time for me to see Edward gracefully hunch over the counter with Bella eyeing me and the lasagna and rolling her eyes. I take two plates out and cut a big square for me, and a much smaller for her.

I warm hers in the microwave first.

"How often?"

"Hmmm?"

"How often did you come here?"

"I come here almost every night."

I raise an eyebrow in his direction, mouthing. *You're such a stalker…*

"Why?"

"You're interesting when you sleep. You talk." I bite my lip, trying to hide my giggles.

"No!"

She talked in her sleep when I was spending the night over her house. I just never mentioned it to her that I know her dirty little secret.

"Are you very angry with me?"

Quite the contrary, my dear Eddie.

"That depends!" Lies!

"On…?"

"What you heard!"

I slip my plate in the microwave, blinking. I'm not sure if they realize I'm still standing in the kitchen…

"Don't be upset!" He had appeared in front of her, grabbing her hands within his large palms.

"You miss your mother. You worry about her. And when it rains, the sound makes you restless. You used to talk about home a lot, but it's less often now. Once you said, 'It's too green'."

I start eating, watching this little show. Bella is a goddess… of cooking. YUMMMM.

"Anything else?"

"You did say my name…" He reluctantly gives.

"A lot…?"

"How much do you mean by 'a lot' exactly?"

"Oh no!"

And then he pulled her into his arms, whispering something into her ear.

I glance at my watch and lean back against the counter, slowly savoring the taste of Bella's cooking.

And then I saw headlights flash out the corner of my eyes, and I turn towards the window, and heard tires grip the brick of the driveway.

"Should your father know I'm here?"

"I'm not sure…..about you…"

"Another time then…"

And Edward vanished from his position of wrapped around Bella.

"Edward!" She hissed. Ooh….hissed.

I hissed back. "Bella!"

I grin when she shoots a look at me and I smile innocently.

"Bella?"

"In here." She called

I throw my plate away and drape my long sleeved shirt over my arm.

"I'll see you later Charlie, and Bella." They chorus a goodbye and I walk out the front door, looking up at the night sky.

"And I will see you later tonight" I whisper and I turn on my heel to jog up to my house.

His laugh was music to my musically trained ears. The perfect pitch.


	16. Chapter 16

In the morning, I awakened to find that the daylight was gray, and murky, and so I opened the window to check the temperature and stared out across the street, seeing nothing.

My eyes stared blankly at the tops of the trees barely moving against the gray background in thoughtless silence.

"ALYSON! WAKE THE HELL UP YOU SLEEP WALKER!"

I jump, startled, and lean forward to look down at Bella, and surprisingly Edward.

"I'm right here, Bella…Why are you here?"

Surprisingly it's Edward that replies to my question.

"My family wants to meet Bella. Would you like to go?"

I blink slowly, indifferent. "Sure."

And then Bella turns an interesting color of blushing red and she screams up at me. "ALYSON PUT SOME DAMN CLOTHES ON YOU NAKED WHORE?

I smirk and lean against the windowsill, not moving an inch.

"What's the matter with what I'm wearing? They're pajamas after all…"

She starts sputtering and finally spews forth with: "You call those PAJAMAS?"

I looked down at what I was wearing. Well…it had fit me before my oh so mysterious growth spurt.

I was wearing a now-tight, spaghetti strap tank top that had risen half way up my abdomen and these shorts were supposed to fully cover lower thigh, yet the now fitted my muscular thighs, and somewhat upper thighs and I know for sure some cheeks were showing in back.

"Hmmm….I guess you're right. Give me ten minutes to change and do my hair and brush my teeth. You can come in and do whatever you want."

I move away from the window and change clothes into something that was on the floor, some sweat pants, and I just keep on the tank top. After washing up and pulling on some socks and sneakers, I thunder down the stairs, skipping the last three steps and landing on the balls of my feet and I grab the keys to my car only to feel a ice cold, marble hand cover mine and I hear keys jingled musically in my ear and I turn my head quick and snap my teeth at them.

"Careful, I bite." I grin evilly and remove my hand from underneath his.

"But I bite harder." I jerk my head back, my eyes widened.

"Oh my god, I'm so scared."

"Your sarcasm is so tangible … Enough of this, don't eat yet! We can go over my place and eat."

I pout at him and dump the four bags of pop tarts on the counter and I stalk out the door, locking it.

I mumble, 'There better be some high quality, gourmet food there or I'm gonna kill you…" I say the last clause in the countriest voice I could.

I slide into the silver chariot of Volvo, which upon seeing I stopped and looked at it, inspecting it closely and gathered myself into the car.

Several minutes later:

I hopped out of the car, twirling and leaping, as I danced to the awesome music my Ipod emits. I had been listening to the music to tune out whatever Bella and Eddy were saying so they could have their little bit of 'privacy' if they called it that.

Happy that I got some pent up energy off, I stared up at the house with sparkling eyes.

I studied the Cedar trees, and the wrap around porch, and everything else about the house.

I was so wrapped up in the music and staring that somebody began to pull my ponytail and I yelp, jerking backward to follow the hand, and I look up to see, Bella, hehe, I thought about calling her Belly…hehe, pulling me towards the front door.

"HEY WAIT A MINUTE I CAN WALK YOU KNOW!"

Edward already had the door open and I gracefully curtsy in front of him and skip into the house, very eager and hyper.

The interior of this house was very beautiful too. The most amazing thing was the entire wall of glass that faced south. I was staring out of the window or glass-wall when Bella yanked the earpiece out of my ear and walked towards Dr. Hottie and Mrs. Esme.

Yet I frown at Bella. She has been almost… how can you say… almost irritable with me around. I blink my thoughts away and skip straight up to the couple and wrap my arms around Esme.

" Mrs. Esme!"

Soft, musical chuckles filled the room and I smirk up at them, winking.

After the primary introductions, when Edward asked. "Where are Alice and Jasper?"

And as if right on cue, they both appear at the top of the stares and I hold up a hand, in a frozen wave, as Alice more hyper than me, streaks down the stairs and stops right in front of us to kiss Bella.

"Hmmm…you smell nice, I never noticed before." She commented and I raise an eyebrow at her. I never realized that I smelled. Surely Bella, but not me.

Jasper remained behind and I furrow my eyebrow, politely stepping from behind Alice to get to him and I notice everyone go rigid, and I step right in front of him, smirking. "Hello to you too, Jaspy..Jasper!" I bite my lip to keep from laughing as I slip with my mental nicknames for everyone. He relaxes the very slightest, and

I jump his back into a piggy back sort of hug thing.

YES!

And then, it goes quiet. I whisper to him over-exaggeratingly,. "Do you think anyone would notice if I were to sneak over to that beautiful piano?"

I start on my mission, humming the mission impossible theme, and hiding behind random people, as I made my way over the grand piano.

Esme was smiling, holding back her beautiful laughter. "Do you play Alyson?"

I bite my lip, my eying Bella from the corner of my eyes before rubbing my head. "Well… not very well you see…if I only focused on the piano. Is it yours or wait! I know whose it is…" I smirk and begin to twirl in place until I face Edward completely. "You."

They stare between me and Edward and I cough. "His hands are just as calloused on the fingertips as mine. Only piano players could have that feature."

They continue to stare at me and I shuffle in place, blinking back. "Well….I was studying his hands one sunny day and well…yeah….I asked…"

They were still staring at me but all of their faces were beginning to form sly smiles, or hidden sly smiles.

Okay…

Moving on.

He pulled Bella to sit beside him, she gave me such a quick look that if I blinked any sooner I wouldn't have seen such the ferocity of it.

The look she gave me was almost as if she triumphed over me…

Which she didn't, because Edward was hers. I didn't even want Edward…

However I stopped thinking altogether when Edward began playing and my jaw drops in amazement. I feel myself being pulled by a cold hand and I turn to stare at Jasper as he gives me a look that I find very questioning, and Alice skips up to me and pulls me up stairs with the rest of the Cullens to give them some privacy.

Alice had pulled me into her room with Jasper and she looks me over quickly, shaking her head. "Ally, how could you even walk outside like that on! Those aren't even clothes! I ought to take you shopping!" My eyes widen and my heart beat quickens as I shakily take a step back.

"Oh no…I..I'm fine…" I shiver, covering my arms and whisper in a very scared voice. " I HATE to shop…"

I hear a gasp and a scream and find Alice hugging me and stroking my hair, even though I was a good six inches taller than her.

"It's okay, baby. You're okay, we'll get those evil shopping-hating thoughts out of your mind. It's okay…" I squeak and squirm, moaning.

"Aaaalllliiiiiccceeeeeeeee. I don't need to shop!"

She squeezes me slightly harder and I hiccup, my squirming more violent now.

"Oh hush now, Alice is here to help."

"Okay, okay! I'll make you a deal!"

She stops squeezing. "I'm listening…" I can hear the smirk in her lips.

"Okay…if I have a need for a certain outfit, or if I have a need for an entirely new wardrobe which could be soon, cause I'm having very sudden growth spurts, I'll…." I swallow. "…go…." ..I squeak the word "shopping" out "with you.."

"YES! Next weekend, you and me! I'll pick you up 9:00 AM SHARP!"

She flounces off and I stare after her incredulously.

I break down, holding my head in my hands. "What the hell have I just gotten myself into…"

I make my way to Edward's room , leaving his door open and picking up the book that I left off from, falling into the world of reading as I listened to his piano playing.

Very peaceful.


	17. Chapter 17

When I heard silence, I had snapped out of my reading daze and listened as hard as I could for any signs of life in the house. I know I wouldn't be able to hear shit, but I was just listening to see if the piano was occupied anymore.

When I didn't hear it for a good 2 minutes, I left the open book on Edward's couch and walked out his door, down the hall, and down the stairs.

I found myself sitting at the piano, stroking the ivory, white keys and black half step keys. Musicians know what half-steps are. I smile and play the Middle C, and almost shiver of how in tune it was. Concert C is one of the most notoriously out of tune notes, yet on HIS piano it's perfect.

Even the things he touch become perfect. A smile crosses my lips as I ease into playing Fur Elise, one of the most known piano peaces, considered easy.

I carefully switch to a waltz, one of the dozens out there, and begin playing my own variation, and mixing it up on the fly.

I must have been playing for at least an HOUR because I had to stop because my fingers were cramping and also there was a small, yet audible clearing of the throat and I turned to see Esme smiling at me, happily.

"My dear, you play beautifully."

I blush and rub my fingers together, standing from the piano. "Thank you so much Mrs. Esme. Although Eddy clearly is the better pianist here."

"Nonsense! Call me Esme, you know how I am, and you're just as talented as Edward, love."

I give her a look, smiling, yet shaking my head. "Alright, Esme…whatever you say."

"I would have let you play forever, but everyone says there's going to be a storm tonight and wants to play ball." She gives me a particularly cunning grin. "Of course you're invited."

"I formally accept your invitation. What type of ball?" I inquire, smiling back.

"Baseball."

"Oooh….I'd like to join…" And before she said another word. "And play…"

"Ohh…dear…I'm not sure…if…." She looked lost, as lost as a beautiful creature as her appear as lost. " I'm not sure if that's the best idea."

I smirk. "I think it's a very good idea. I'll work something else with everyone else. And do you extra clothing?"

Alice, right on cue, sprints up to me, dumps a lot of stuff in my arms and pulls me to her room, slamming the door shut and already has my shirt off before I notice.

"ALICE, I CAN DRESS MY OWN DAMN SELF!"

"Okay, okay, sorry. Sheesh. Hurry, hurry, hurry. Carlisle is telling his story too, so maybe you can catch the last half of it."

She leaves the room, in her graceful way and I look at the clothes she gives me, and strip to put them on.

I put on everything leaving the shoes off for later, and I look in the mirror to see if I put on everything correctly. What I see shocks the hell out of me.

Alice!

She got me two sizes too small of a shirt, and now the infamous baseball style shirt hugged mt abdomen tightly and the pants, oh the pants were not much better. They hugged my muscular butt, not making it look big, but rather making me feel uncomfortable. I never wore clothes so…tight and form fitting.

I pulled on the red knee socks and threw my hair up into a neater, high ponytail and walked out, narrowing my eyes as Alice painstakingly eyes me over and smirks.

"Hot. Come, they're in here."

I entered Carlisle's study quietly behind Alice and leaned against the wall, listening in.

But Carlisle wasn't anywhere in Carlisle's study. All I saw was Edward and Bella looking at ancient portraits. But I still listened in..

"…he knew what he had become. He rebelled against it. He tried to destroy himself. But that's not easily done."

"How?" Bella asks. And I know for certain that I wouldn't interrupt anything. Leaving the dialogue to the two.

"He jumped from great heights. He tried to drown himself in the ocean . . . But he was young to the new life and very strong. It is amazing that he was able to resist . . .feeding… while he was still so new. The instinct is more powerful then, it takes over everything. But he was so repelled by himself that he had the strength to try to kill himself with starvation."

"Is that possible?"

"No, there are very few ways we can be killed. So he grew very hungry and eventually weak. He strayed as far as he could from the human populace, recognizing that his willpower was weakening, too. For months he wandered by night, seeking the loneliest places, loathing himself.

One night, a herd of deer passed his hiding place. He was so wild with thirst that he attacked without a thought. His strength returned and he realized there was an alternative to being the vile monster he feared. Had he not eaten venison in his former life? Over the next months his new philosophy was born. He could exist without being a demon. He found himself again."

I noticed that his voice naturally fell and rose with cadence, and that he admired Carlisle by the awe in his tone.

"He began to make better use of his time. He'd always been intelligent, eager to learn. Now he had unlimited time before him. He studied by night, planned by day. He swam to France and -"

"He SWAM to France?"

"People swim the Cannel all the time, Bella." His voice had softened the slightest touch.

"That's true, I guess. It just sounded funny in that context. Go on."

I smile. Bella was right, it did indeed sound superhuman.

"Swimming is easy for us -"

"Everything is easy for you."

"I won't interrupt again, I promise."

He chuckled and finished off his previous thought. "Because , technically, we don't need to breathe."

My lips twitched, trying not to frown. Dear God, get on with the story…

I tuned out of the flirting, not really interested in that stuff and rolled my eyes, occupying my time with studying the portraits hung around Carlisle's office.

"So, go on - Carlisle was swimming to France."

"Carlisle swam to France, and continued on to Europe, to the universities there. By night he studied music, science, medicine - and found his calling, his penance, in that, in saving human lives. I can't adequately describe the struggle; it took Carlisle two centuries of torturous effort to perfect his self-control. Now he is all but immune to the scent of human blood, and he is able to do the work he loves without agony. He finds a great deal of peace there, at the hospital . . ."

After a slight pause he continues.

"He was studying in Italy when he discovered the others there. They were much more civilized and educated than the wraiths of the London sewers. Solimena was greatly inspired by Carlisle's friends. He often painted them as gods. Aro, Marcus, Caius. Nighttime patrons of the arts."

"What happened to them?"

"They're still there. As they have been for who knows how many millenia. Carlisle stayed with them only for a short time, just a few decades. He greatly admired their civility, their refinement, but they persisted in trying to cure his aversion to 'his natural food source', as they called it. They tried to persuade him, and he tried to persuade them, to no avail. At that point, Carlisle decided to try the New World. He dreamed of finding others like himself. He was very lonely, you see.

"He didn't find anyone for a long time. But, as monsters became the stuff of fairy tales, he found he could interact with unsuspecting humans as if he were one of them. He began practicing medicine. But the companionship he craved for evaded him; he couldn't risk familiarity.

"When the influenza epidemic hit, he was working nights in a hospital in Chicago. He'd been turning over an idea in his mind for several years, and he had almost decided to act - since he couldn't find a companion, he would create one. He wasn't absolutely sure how his own transformation had occurred, so he was hesitant. And he was loath to steal anyone's life the way his had been stolen. It was in that frame of mind that he found me. There was no hope for me; I was left in a ward with the dying. He had nursed my parents, and knew I was alone. He decided to try . . ."

Damn it, Edward. You're not going to tell exactly what happened. I know you aren't.

He smiles at Bells. "And so we've come full circle."

"Have you always stayed with Carlisle, then."

"Almost always."

"Almost…?"

I heard Bella trail as they left the office without a further glance back and I blink, in the sudden silence.

I remove myself from the wall and stand in front of the portraits, studying with a critical eye.

Edward…. Almost always lived with Carlisle. Most likely he's referring to a rebellious period. Almost like a teenager. And I smirk.

You're more like us than you understand Eddy dear.

I walk out of the office several minutes later, closing the door.

And then it hit me. This idea that was so delicious I was almost salivating at the thought of it.

Oh god. This is going to be good, I snicker and run towards Alice's room where I knew she would have the supplies I needed and the skill for what I wanted to be done. Just in case I wasn't allowed to play at the game.

I'm glad I thought about this. Do you know how hard it is to bounce from being solemn and serious to happy and excited?

I managed it though, and tonight is going to be a good night.


	18. Chapter 18

As Edward took Bella home to get ready, Esme had walked me into the woods a little bit and stared straight into my face.

"Alyson. You really should stop lying to yourself. I've been alive for a very long time and I know the look when I see it. And I don't have to say what look, you're extremely smart, you should figure it out in the next few seconds. Almost everybody in this household feels that Edward would be better off with you."

My jaw drops and my lips part and close a few times before closing for the moment. How were you supposed to respond to a comment like that? You just couldn't!

She looks me over carefully. "Girl…or should I say woman, you don't know what you have going for you. You shouldn't doubt yourself over anything. You shouldn't have to be walked over for something that is rightfully yours. He may be your best friend, sweety, but know what comes after best friends. And just because we have pale skin doesn't mean that our preferences for soul mates have to be that color as well." She winks and walks away, and I stare at her incredulously. My mind completely frozen over, I mentally had to clean up the spill on this information, locking it up with the previous things a thousand times over.

I had looked up, going towards the house when I, again, froze, to a halt.

I heard the monstrous ROAR of something and I turned on my heel to see the most humongous truck with the largest wheels almost as tall as my chest, and head lights and metal guards and shit.

Like dear god.

"ALYSON, GET YOUR ASS IN HERE, EDDY LUFF HAS TO GET HIS GIRLFRIEND AND YOU'RE GOING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THERE'RE NO SUDDEN DETOURS!"

"ALRIGHT EMMETT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL, I'M NOT AS DEAF AS YOU THINK HUMANS ARE!"

"WELL SORRY, I JUST NEEDED TO RELAY INFORMATION ACROSS THE HOUSE TO A HUMAN!"

I laugh loudly but then suddenly choke on my air as I stand in front of this monster. And I point at it, and Edward who brushes past me nods.

"Yep, we're going in this… part of the way."

I smirk and walk around it, staring at everything my eyes could feast on in this short amount of time.

"Brilliant." I look up to notice that Edward was staring me up and down and I lean against a wheel and stare back at him. And before he comments, I interrupt. "Yes. I'm playing. I'm sure you guys can go gentle on little old me for only one play…"

I open the door and leap inside nimbly into the back seat, where I stand on the seat, to sit back against the guards up here.

To tell the truth, I was sort of detesting seeing Bella, so I just sat back, listening to my Ipod, not really noticing anything other than the loud music going through my ears.

I did, however, give a nod to Bella as the jeep stopped to pick her up. I immediately noticed the sexual tension between the two, so when the jeep stopped in the middle of nowhere woods, I dropped the sheer six feet from the seat to the ground, only to stumble to a halt when I see Jasper appear directly in front of me along with Esme, Alice, and Emmett.

I raise my eyebrows and turn to look over my should at Edward and Bella and I smirk when I see them whisper to each other with Edward smirking and Bella lividly scared.

"Let's leave them together for a few, agreed?" I playfully raise both eyebrows and look between the three vampires for my choice of ride.

"Hmmmm…Emmett! Catch!" I take off at a run and he turns around catching me on his back and my drift.

And he immediately takes off, making me laugh and scream in thrill. He makes this a rollercoaster ride, running up trees, flipping off branches, doing ninja-like things, with me hanging on.

I dropped off of his back, adrenalized properly and I saw the enormous field of openness perfect for any sport actually.

A few minutes later and several arguments later, I stood on the pitcher's mound, the only position I was allowed to play, and I was already sweating and breathing hard from the exertion of arguing with Edward. Yet I still won. HAH! Not only am I a woman, I am damn right convincible.

I had to the ball in my hand along with a glove, which I was required to wear. I saw Esme and Bella stand together and I tucked my hat so I could wear it comfortably with my ponytail hanging out. Alice, Carlisle, and Edward were all on a team with Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie on the other team. I would be the pitcher with both teams to keep me out of the way.

I was allowed to stretch my shoulders and arms for a long time as they set up the field and I played with the ball, getting my fingers to get used to it and I patiently waited on the mound, throwing it up and catching it.

"All right! Batter up!" Esme called. And I straightened, coughing and spitting out to the side while watching with narrowed eyes as Emmett stepped up to the bat, albeit very close to me and I hiss lowly, lowering into a stance before, whipping my hand back and hurling the ball towards Emmett's form and he stares at me, obviously stunned at my repertoire of a muscular arm. I catch the ball Jasper throws back at me with my gloved hand and I crick my neck, bending my knees and staring as Emmett moves back several feet again, and tenses. Waiting.

I slowly bring the ball to eye level and fling it at Emmett, jumping at the sound the aluminum bat makes of the ball upon impact that I didn't even see.

I turn and watch the ball fly out the field easily several miles into the forest, yet I catch Edward out of the corner of my eye flitting into the forest, a blur in my peripheral.

And Esme shouts with a clear voice. "OUT!"

My eyes widen at them and then a smile crosses my lips as I whisper. "You are my most favoritest people in the whole damn world right now." I smirk, lower the bill of my cap, and catch the ball thrown my way from Edward, who was also smirking.

I bend over, waiting for the next batter with fiery determination in my eyes now. This would be one hell of a game.

A few hours later….

I was bent over, clutching my knees as I give a hefty breath and I straighten up and grab the hem of the shirt and stuff it under my sports bra, now revealing a lovely "TEAM EDWARD" painted on my abdomen.

I see Emmett who was up to bat once again, stare at me and start to laugh with his bellowing voice and I shrug as the others start to share glances with each other and burst out laughing as well. It was a very harmonizing chorus of laughter when I see Edward shake his head and throw me the ball for pitching again. I snort and leave my shirt up, knowing that my muscular stomach needed some air. Plus I like showing it off, fuck I worked hard for this body, I want some appreciation. Hehe just kidding, I don't really give a fuck about it being sexy. I know it's sexy.

I was about to pitch again, when Alice suddenly gasped, and my eyes flew to hers and tried to analyze her expression. My heart was thudding into my throat though when her expression barely revealed anything. The hairs on the back of my neck were raising in danger.

Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper were all by my side instantaneously.

"Alice…?" Esme's voice was cautiously tense.

"I didn't see - I couldn't tell" She whispers.

I start to walk up to her with the others.

"What is it, Alice?" Carlisle asked with his demand of authority voice.

"They were traveling much quicker than I thought. I can see I had the perspective wrong before." She murmurs.

"What changed?" Jasper leaned into her.

"They heard us playing, and it changed their path." My jaw drops as I begin to understand.

The other vampires! Of course!

I looked up to the others to see that they're main focus was Bella before turning back to Alice. And I narrow my eyes slightly, turning my focus back to Alice too.

"How soon?"

"Less than five minutes. They're running - they want to play." Edward answered, scowling.

"Can you make it?" His eyes flickering towards Bella again.

"No, not carrying. Besides the last thing we need is for them to catch the sent and start hunting."

Ah….Edward wouldn't be able to run away fast enough with Bella. And it seems as if Bella was the only one they cared for, at the moment.

"How many?" Emmett asked.

"Three." Alice replied, tersely.

"Three! Let them come." Emmett scoffed and I watched as his muscles flexed and I raised an eyebrow in his direction. Surely he wasn't going to fight off the vampires in front of us…

I looked to Carlisle for guidance, and saw that he was silent.

"Let's just continue the game. Alice said they were simply curious."

No, no, no. This is going to be bad, I can tell already.

Some players switched positions, I know that I couldn't think of pitching now, and Edward switched positions with Esme. And the others returned to the field, watching the forest with their skilled eyes.

I stood slightly behind everybody, very weary now and I felt that I should be on guard.

I watched as Bella took her hair down.

"Yes, stay very still, keep quiet, and don't move from my side please." He couldn't hide the stress from me.

"That won't help. I could smell her across the field."

Shit. I close my eyes, swallowing my saliva.

"I known." Frustration easy to find in his voice.

"What did Esme ask you?" Bella whispered in a not so quiet whisper.

He muttered grudgingly. "Whether they were thirsty."

My stomach dropped the slightest touch and I tensed my now cold muscles and I dropped my shirt to my waist and backed away into the forest, behind a tree but I could see and hear.

And just in time, for I heard Edward hiss as his breathing came to a stop and my eyes followed everyone's line of sight to right field.

Oh. Shit.

That tight feeling in your stomach, you know? Right when shit starts to hit the fan and you don't know whether you would survive or not?

Well. My intestines were twisting themselves up, and my core was shivering while torrents of adrenaline shot down and up every single vein and muscle in my body.


	19. Chapter 19

Oy! Ello readers! Just saying that I'm absolutely happy to continue writing this story for all of you Alyson fans! Just have to say that most of the dialogue is directly from the book, except for Alyson's lines and anyone's mentioning of Alyson of course, yet I do have to spice the dialogue up for Alyson's sake. You do know that she's unbelievably abnormal, right?

Carrying on then:

All three of them emerged, one by one through the trees. The first was a male who made way for the dark-skinned male who clearly led this coven, and the last was a fiery haired woman.

I quietly and quickly jumped up into the tree, climbing to a thick branch where I could sit and watch without being seen, hopefully. I leaned against the tree, breathing through my nose the slightest bit as tension built in all my muscles.

They all had that predatory stance and the character unease and on-the-edge appearance, like they were about to either pounce on us, or run from us.

I see Carlisle make an effort to appear unthreatening and I see the three relax the slightest touch.

The lead man, who had dreads like mine, was beautiful, given, and was of medium build and hard muscle.

The woman was much wilder, like an uneasy cat, her eyes shifting from man to man, or woman to woman.

And the second male stood behind the two, though he looked the most predatory and nondescript. This man almost screamed out at me that he was the most dangerous, and I kept my eye on him.

My heart almost stopped when his gaze nearly met my form, but it slowly started beating when his eyes just swept around the entire clearing.

I let out the tiniest of breaths, my eyes still watching him. I thought vampires were supposed to be fucking aware of flies' wings beating 200 miles away… though that's probably a stretch of their abilities. But still. How could he not sense me, how could the other two not sense me either.

The other thing all of them had in common made me press against the tree hard; their eyes, all of their eyes were blood red, and looked very disturbing.

The leader stepped toward Carlisle with a smile lighting his face.

"We thought we heard a game. I'm Laurent, these are Victoria and James." He gestured to the others, with a slight French accent tinting his words.

I close my eyes and swallow breath uneasily, adrenaline beginning to leak torrents into my bloodstream, my body was screaming for me to RUN, yet my mind was telling me to sit very, very still. My mind won this battle. Plus it was too late for me to run without being heard.

"I'm Carlisle. This is my family, Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie, Esme and Alice, Edward and Bella." I blinked in relief. He didn't say my name. Good… No need to call attention to someone "not there".

"Do you have room for a few more players?" Laurent asks sociably.

And Carlisle replies with the same tone. "Actually, we were just finishing up. But we'd certainly be interested another time. Are you planning to stay in the area for long?"

"We're headed north, in fact, but we were curious to see who was in the neighborhood. We haven't run into any company in a long time."

"No, this region is usually empty except for us and the occasional visitor, like yourselves."

I could hear the slightest edge in Carlisle's voice. Making his intent undermine his tone.

"What's your hunting range?" Laurent required much too casually, that blood-sucking bastard. My eyes narrowed. I'm slightly territorial when it comes to where my home is.

"The Olympic Range here, up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion. We keep a permanent residence nearby. There's another permanent settlement like ours up near Denali."

I could see Laurent's slight surprise. "Permanent? How do you manage that?"

They don't drink human blood, you misfit. I was getting sick of this tiptoeing across eggshells conversation.

"Why don't you come back to our home with us and we can talk more comfortably?" Carlisle invited. "It's a rather long story."

I sat up when hearing this, because if they did come this way, there was no way that all of them would not see, hear, or smell me.

James and Victoria glanced at each other.

"That sounds very interesting, and welcome. We've been on the hunt all the way down from Ontario, and we haven't had the chance to clean up in a while."

My eyes widen. Those stupid, …

"Please don't take offense, but we'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from hunting in this immediate area. We have to stay inconspicuous, you understand."

"Of course. We certainly won't encroach on your territory. We just ate outside of Seattle, anyway." He laughed and I rose to my feet, into a crouch, baring my teeth in a painful grimace.

"We'll show you the way if you'd like to run with us - Emmett and Alice, you can go with Edward and Bella to get the jeep." He added.

Yet, suddenly I stiffened. Oh..shit, my body froze and I almost let out a whimper in fright.

Shaking, I brought my hand up to my eyes and I stared in horror as a small line of blood dripped down my hand and, I fling my head over to see Bella's hair move with the wind, Edward tensing, and James whipping his head around to take a good look at Bella, who just happened to be in my line of direction, in front of the tree I was hiding in.

I don't move an inch, like the others on the field, yet I bring my hand to my lips and lick up the blood quickly, my eyes wide in fear, without making any noise. It seemed as if nobody noticed the extra stench of human blood.

James took a step, and crouched, and Edward fell into a defensive stance himself, letting loose a loud, feral snarl.

That noise, sent shivers down my entire body, limbs included.

"What's this?" Laurent seemed delightedly surprised.

"She with us" Carlisle's firm statement clearly directed towards James.

"You brought a snack?"

Edward snarled even louder and I flinched, and unexpectedly I almost tumble off the branch, but catch myself at the last moment with both injured hand and normal hand, and I straddle the branch, looking towards the field, hoping with all my being that nothing heard me.

"I said she's with us." Carlisle repeated in a hard tone.

"But she's human." What's wrong with hanging out with vampires, huh?

I wanted to punch his beautiful face in so badly.

"Yes." Emmett eased by Carlisle's side.

James slowly straightened his body up, yet everybody else stayed tensed and on edge.

Laurent spoke, to vanquish the sudden hostility and tension. "It appears we have a lot to learn about each other."

"Indeed."

"But we'd like to accept your invitation. And, of course, we will not harm the human girl. We won't hunt in your range, as I said."

I was really, really expecting him to add plural to girls, and I'm so glad he didn't…..

"We'll show you the way. Jasper, Rosalie, Esme?" They all moved together, glancing at each other with slightly troubled looks on their faces, to conceal Bella from their view. I stood up on the branch, and once Jasper was underneath the tree, I jumped on his back and he almost dropped me, startled in surprise, yet he gave me a quick look of relief and took off at his top speed trailing Edward and everyone else.

We reached the jeep and they slung us humans in the back and I hurriedly put on a seat belt.

"Strap her in." Edward ordered.

Edward looked royally pissed off and I had to hang on to the back of his seat, seeing as I was behind the driver's side, as he swerved the jeep onto the other side of the rode.

Alice and Emmett were both looking out the windows and Edward was speeding away from Forks, headed South.

The dark made it much more raw, and the wind made it even scarier. It felt like my insides were scraped raw with fear and that hysteria was building in my throat, and I shake my head hard, snapping myself out of the frame of mind.

I was no better than Bella at the moment, I think the adrenaline is forcing me to stay completely aware.

"Where are we going?" Bella asks.

Nobody answered. Nobody even twitched.

"Damn it, Edward! Where the hell are you taking us?"

"We have to get you away from here - far away - now."

"Turn around! You have to take me home!" She shouted and I lean closer to the window, eyebrow twitching.

Her hands started to tear at the buckles and straps and harnesses and Emmett dutifully clutched her hands in a steel grip.

"No! Edward you can't do this!"

"I have to Bella, now please be quiet."

"I won't! You have to take me back - Carlisle will call the FBI! They'll be all over your family - Carlisle and Esme! They'll have to leave and hide forever!" She shouts in hysterics, nearly.

"Calm down, Bella. We've been there before." His voice was cold, detached and pissed off, all at the same frightening time.

"Not over me, you don't! You're not ruining everything over me!" She struggled violently and I finally had enough, I slipped out of my seat belt , faced her and back handed her with all my might.

"SHUT THE HELL UP! BELLA! Don't you understand! Snap out of it! JAMES IS A FUCKING VAMPIRE THAT SUCKS ON HUMAN BLOOD FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" I glare into her eyes as she glares back. "He will do anything to get your blood once he has smelt it!"

I turned back forward and Edward whispers deadly. "You don't understand! He's a TRACKER! Alice don't you see! He's a fucking tracker!"

I felt Emmett stiffen, and I immediately understood that the normal connotation for this one word was intensified a million fold by the simple fact that these are vampires we're dealing with.

"Oh shit.." I whisper.

"Edward, pull over." Alice commands softly.

Nobody said anything again.

"Do it, Edward."

"Listen to me, Alice. I saw his mind. Tracking is his passion! His obsession - and he wants her, Alice - HER. He begins the hunt tonight!"

"He doesn't known where -"

"How long do you think it will take him to cross her scent in town? His plan was already set before the words were out of Laurent's mouth."

"Fuck…..ing 'A"" I whisper amazed.

"Charlie! You can't leave him there! You can't leave him!" Her thrashing now renewed its strength and I didn't want to have to deck her with my right hook that I know would take out a grown human man. Though her concern over her Dad made sense.

"She's right, you know." Alice said. I nodded in agreement.

The car slowed.

"Let's just look at our options for a minute." Alice prodded gently.

The car came to a sudden halt and I collided with the head rest of the driver's seat with a SMACK! Yet my arms absorbed most of the impact since I wrapped my arms around the head rest, thankfully.

And that's why you should wear a seatbelt kids.

"There are no options." Edward hisses.

"I'm not leaving Charlie!"

"We have to take her back." Emmett spoke up.

"No." Edward glared out the windshield.

"He's no match for us, Edward. He won't be able to touch her."

"He'll wait."

"I can wait too."

"Don't you see! Once he commits to a hunt, he's unshakable. We'd have to kill him."

"Then we'll have to kill the bastard." Venom drips off my voice, as I whisper. "There's nothing that's going to stop him from somehow luring her away from you. We WILL have to kill him, and I think we should just get over this fact right now."

"That's true… and there's another option." Alice quietly added.

Edward turned all his fury on her, his voice turning into a snarl and growl from pure hell. " THERE - IS - NO - OTHER - OPTION!"

I stared at the headrest in confusion, silence resting over the jeep like a fog.

"Does anyone want to hear my plan?" Bella timidly breaks the silence.

"No." Edward growled

Alice glared over at him.

"Listen! You take me back." Bella pleads.

"No." He interrupts.

She continues anyway. " You take me back. I tell my dad I want to go home to Phoenix. I pack my bags. We wait till this tracker is watching, and then we run. He'll follow us and leave Charlie alone. Charlie won't call the FBI on your family. Then you can take me any damned placed you want."

Everyone looks at her in astonishment.

"It's not a bad idea, really" Emmett provides.

"It might work - and we simply can't leave her father unprotected. You know that. Alyson, I'm not sure if they knew there was a second human, but we can't take any chances. I'm not sure if you licked up the blood fast enough."

Everyone turned on me and I show my cut palm, already beginning to harden over into a scab.

Emmett breathed. "Shit…I didn't know you were still there… I didn't even hear or smell you…"

"Neither did anyone else for that matter, hopefully." Alice put in.

And then we all looked to Edward.

"It's too dangerous - I don't want him within a hundred miles of them."

"Edward, he's not getting through us." Emmett spoke confidently.

"I don't see him attacking. He'll try to wait for us to leave her alone." Alice thought.

"It won't take long for him to realize that's not going to happen."

" I DEMAND that you take me home."

Edward looked so tired.

"Please?" She asked in a smaller tone voice.

"You're leaving tonight." He said after a moment of silence. " Whether the tracker sees or not. You tell Charlie that you can't stand another minute in Forks. Tell him whatever story works. Pack the first things your hands touch, and then get in your truck. I don't care what he says to you. You have fifteen minutes. Do you hear me? Fifteen minutes from the time you cross the doorstep. And that goes for you too Alyson. And In fact, I think it's better that you use the Toyota. Much quieter and less suspicious."

The Jeep turned over into life and was spun around and the vehicle immediately started to gain speed.

Edward started talking. "This is how it's going to happen. When we get to the house, if the tracker is not there, I will walk her to the door. Then she has fifteen minutes. Emmett can walk Alyson to her house and then he can take the outside of the house. Alice, you get the Toyota. I'll be inside with Bella as long as she is. After she's out, you two can take the Jeep home and tell Carlisle."

"No way." Emmett broke through. "I'm with you."

"Think it through, Emmett. I don't know how long I'll be gone."

"Until we know how far this is going to go, I'm with you."

Edward sighed. "If the tracker IS there, we keep driving."

"We're going to make it there before him." Alice supplied confidently.

"What are we going to do with the Jeep?" She asked.

"You're driving it home."

"No I'm not."

Edward let out some steam, a stream of very colorful words that turned into a very nice rainbow.

Bella mumbled something.

We ignored her.

Bella whispered. " I think you should let me go alone."

Now, that, we all heard, especially Edward.

"Bella, please just do this my way, just this once." He gritted his teeth.

"Listen, Charlie's not an imbecile. If you're not in town tomorrow, he's going to get suspicious."

"That's irrelevant. We'll make sure he's safe, and that's all that matters."

"Not if you ever want to see Bella again, that's not all that matters. As in Charlie's going to get suspicious of you and REALLY move Bella away from you if he thinks you did something to her…" I pause an idea slowly forming in my mind. " I'll go with Bella."

I say quietly, yet firmly.

"Then what about this tracker? He saw the way you acted tonight. He's going to think you're with me, wherever you are." Bella nodded, adding to my argument.

"Edward, listen to them," Emmett looked at Bella. " I think they're right."

"Yes, they are." Alice agreed.

"I can't do that." Edward's voice turned icy.

"Emmett should stay too. He definitely got an eyeful of Emmett." She continued anyway.

I interrupt everyone. "Yes, Emmett stays and Alice and Jasper can take either just Bella or both of us humans, and where would that leave me if I were not to go to Phoenix. I can't stay up here, I'd risk getting caught, my scent isn't as strong as Bella's but it would definitely be on every Cullen that I've been around, so that means I HAVE to go too, and you Edward can get rid of Charlie's suspicion if you stay here for a couple days to a week while the rest of the coven can plant false trails, throw him off track, and then come back to meet us…I mean Bella." I gripped the seatbelts, waiting with baited breath.

I see him considering it.

"Meet you where?"

"Phoenix." Bella supplies again.

"No. He'll hear that's where you're going."

"And you'll make it look like that's a ruse, obviously. He'll know that we'll know that he's listening. He'll never believe I'm actually going where I say I'm going."

I cradle my chin with my hand and I think. Bella…that's if he doesn't catch on that there's a false trail, and the dude's a tracker, it's bound to happen sooner or later, and preferable later. There's no getting past that, I'm afraid.

"I'm quite old enough to get my own place." Bella argues.

I missed some but it doesn't look as if I missed a lot.

"Edward, we'll be with her." Alice reminds him.

"What are YOU going to do in Phoenix?"

"Stay indoors."

"I kind of like it." Emmett thinks aloud.

"Shut up, Emmett." Edward growls scathingly.

"Look, if we try to take him down while she's still around, there's a much better change that someone will get hurt - she'll get hurt, or you will, trying to protect her. Now if we get him alone . . ." He trails off, smiling.

I look off into the night, a horrible feeling making its presence known in my gut. Oh no…My gut feeling, this wrenching of my gut was telling me this plan would go to hell. This isn't going to go as planned. I can feel it… I can really feel it, and it feels as if I'm suffocating, but I'm breathing. It feels as if my heart is being squeezed mercilessly and I wince, grimacing as I see my own reflection staring back at me, a horrified look on the reflection's face and I cover the face with my hand.

I was trained to handle cars, and to dismember bad guys. HUMAN bad guys, but, vampires were another enigma entirely. I know a steak wasn't going to work. Their skin is too hard to penetrate with a blunt weapon like that.

As far as I can tell, all legends about vampires were extremely smelly loads of bullshit.

I crack a smile. I can really crack myself up at times, even in times of dire tension.

We pull into the cul-de-sac and I hurriedly unlock all the seatbelts, climbing on top of the railing on the top of the jeep ready to jump out of it from that height.


	20. Chapter 20

Emmett escorted me up to my room and started throwing all sorts of things into a suitcase while I threw my laptop into its case and rushed to fit all my toiletries into one bag and then stuffing all smaller bags into the larger one. And in ten minutes I was done.

I changed my mind. My car would not be fast enough or safe enough to outrun anything. I found myself back inside the monster truck waiting for Bella.

And here she came storming out of the house and Alice who was in the driver's seat threw the truck into Drive and maneuvered it out of the cul-de-sac and followed Bella's truck as it rolled down the street.

"I'm afraid the tracker heard some of Bella's performance in front of her dad…"

"Shit.." I breathe.

"We're not going to outrun him, are we?"

She frowned. "I'm afraid not."

I wipe my face with my hand, wiping away some sweat. "Why is this mother fucker so hell-bent on Bella?"

I make no effort to hide my language choice.

"He likes challenges." Is what Alice just plainly says.

I scoff, growling. "Well this is his last fucking challenge ever."

Alice snarls, and holds out her small fist. " Damn straight."

I fist bump her and turn my attention to the windshield.

We drove right up to the front door and burst into the white room. Everybody was there. Laurent stood with them, and he didn't notice me, hopefully.

"He's tracking us." Edward almost snarled.

"I was afraid of that."

Alice rushed to Jasper's side, whispered something in his ear and flew back to my side and inconspicuously rushed me upstairs with Jasper following. And I sit on the steps where I can still hear the proceedings.

"What will he do?" Carlisle asked chillingly.

"I'm sorry," Laurent started to reply. " I was afraid, when your boy there defended her, that it would set him off."

"Can you stop him?"

Pause. "Nothing stops James when he's started."

I look to Alice and Jasper, sitting beside me and frown, listening back in.

"We'll stop him." Emmett promised.

I mouthed to Alice. "I'm going to take a shower, could your bring my stuff up here?"

She nodded and I disappear off into the bathroom, washing off cold sweat and dirt, and the like.

I leaned against the wall, my stomach cramping as the muscles in my core tightened and I gasp, holding my forearm against myself and breathing heavily.

*How …could…they? They..forgot..about me? The…They seem centered around BELLA? SHE"S NOT THE ONLY FUCKING HUMAN IMMEDIATELY IN DANGER HERE! Yet there's not a single precaution for me. I basically invited myself to run away with Bella!*

Anger was starting to cloud over my eyes and judgment and I clench my hands into fist, furiously.

Tears spring up into my eyes and spill over, mixing with the shower water and going down the drain as one. I let a small sob leave my lips, stifling with my teeth and I look up into the showerhead.

*Suck it up, Aly. Suck. It. Up. You have always been a sort of loner. Don't start depending on anyone now…

*But I don't HEAVILY depend on the Cullens…they just help me..

*And they forgot me. They..worry only about Bella Swan*

I grimace and step out of the shower, turning it off and wrapping myself in a towel. I step out of the bathroom to find Alice where she ushers me to her and Jasper's room. I take out my laptop and turn it on while drying myself off.

I pull on underwear, bra and panties, a simple T-shirt, and a skirt, which was the only bottoms I could wear because it seems that my pants have turned into high-waters over night. I have to remember to donate my clothes when I get back.

I set up the computer, and check my email.

{{{Oy! Alyson! We're having a good time overseas! We'll be sure to visit you by the end of the month, we promise! And we'll have a little talk of the parties we know for sure that you're throwing in the absence of your parents. LOL. SMILEY FACE!

Just kidding, sweetie. We trust you enough not to get into any trouble! See you love, call and text and email us if you need anything. And don't go crazy with your credit card. We still have a business to run you know!

LOVE Mum and Dad."}}}

I hiccup and type up a long reply explaining that I was a good kid and that I was going on a weekend trip with the family of my good friends and that I'll keep my budget limit in mind when I buy the entire mall. I cover my mouth with my hand and press the send icon. I throw on some shorts underneath the skirt just in case and end up pulling my gym shoes on. I pack my laptop back in my bag and rush downstairs, just as Esme was rushing Bella upstairs and I look around at the others.

Alice took a look at me and scolded me slightly. "Alyson, what are you wearing? Don't you have any pants?"

I mumble. "I don't have any that fit my longer legs."

And before she could say anything about the promise way back when, Esme and Bella were back downstairs.

"Alice, will they take the bait?"

She stood still, closing her eyes for a timely pause.

"He'll track you. The woman will follow the truck. We should be able to leave after that." Her tone was very certain. And allowed every human and vampire to relax somewhat.

My cell phone buzzed in my hand and I furrowed my eyebrow and held it up to my ear, whispering. "Hello?"

"Alyson, I'm going to need you to be safe too, my dear. You are part of our family too. And just between us…" His voice got much more quieter and Carlisle breathed. "Esme speaks for both of us."

My mind flashes over the times when Esme spoke to me, only a few conversations coming to mind.

1) Her liking to cook, but that wouldn't make sense because Carisle does not cook even for human guests.

2) Her liking my piano playing, though I'm pretty sure that Carisle was at the hospital that day I may be wrong

3) .. Her saying that the family thinks that Edward would be better off with dating me..

I didn't know what to think about this I felt as if my heart constricted and pushed up my throat when he said it, and so… I felt that option 1 and 2 were too innocent to make my body do that.

I let out a hiss of a breath and stare at the phone, nodding and tucking it into my bra when Esme answered her own phone and nodded. "Now."

Everyone except Bella, me, Alice, and Jasper exited.

We waited for our own cue and Alice's phone buzzed.

"Edward says the woman is on Esme's trail. I'll get the car."

She vanished from sight.

Jasper took a good look at me and studied me silently, I being closer to him then what a normal human should be, but I was apparently a safe one that doesn't have provocative blood.

He looked away from me and talked to the air.

"You're wrong you know?" He said quietly.

I turned my head sharply to face him, shock registering on my features.

"What?" Bella gasped. I close my eyes, making my face emotionless; oh he was talking to her.

I felt his gaze on me, heavily.

"I can feel what you're feeling now - and you ARE worth it."

I swallow my saliva that was built up in my mouth and look away from him. I couldn't tell if he was talking to her or me and that made me very confused and slightly irritated.

"I'm not. If anything happens to them, it will be for nothing."

I stayed silent ducking my head so that my eyes were shadowed as I bite my lip to keep from doing anything brash.

"You're wrong." He just repeated, and this time took a small, unnoticeable step towards me, and I look up, catching his gaze and we stare at each other for a few seconds.

His eyes told me that he knew exactly who he was talking to, and I turned my eyes from his intense stare.

And then Alice appears.

Alice nods in my and Jasper's direction and asks permission to carry Bella while Jasper picks me up bridle style which sort of shocked me, which caused him to grin, and he flies out of the house and into the night towards the sleek car of Carlisle's.

I whisper, "Damn you, Jasper…" Because as soon as I was seated in the backseat, I felt a powerful drain of my consciousness and adrenaline that was to keep me awake and I drift off into a deep sleep.

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	21. Chapter 21

My body awakened in increments. First it was my brain, and I could hear everything that Alice and Jasper were saying.

"And what of Alyson, Edward? She has a very important role in this too!"

Silence.

"EDWARD! Be reasonable! She's human too! Bella isn't the only one with a beating heart."

A pause.

"Very well."

She sighs. "I worry for Aly, Jasper. I'm afraid we're too caught up with Bella to be concerned for Aly. Yet Edward believes she can handle it. I believe she can't. She' only human. And a smart one at that…"

I fully awaken and stare at the room. A very plain room of a hotel and I sit up from the couch. I run my hands across my face, feeling sleep crust on my lips and eyes and I shake myself into reality. I stand up and head to the bathroom, silently.

My knee was cramping slightly and forcing me to limp a little too noticeably so I put on my brace, which somehow had been packed into the bag and I wash my face, brush my teeth, change into more clothes.

When I exit, Alice was leading an awakened Bella through the door of the living room and I followed and sat at the table where some food was placed.

I ate my part of the food, barely tasting it and drag myself to my bag where my laptop lay. I opened it up and turned it on, sitting with my back to the couch, on the floor, with the computer on the little coffee table.

I had to tune out Bella's hysterics or it was going to drive me crazy.

I was checking my email, replying to a load of messages from my mum and dad, and checking on the business when I heard that Bella's noises became extinct and I looked up to see Jasper staring at me, and only Jasper staring at me.

I pause, staring back at him with a questioning gaze. I sigh gently, shutting the computer closed, all while maintaining his gaze.

*He knows… something..* His gaze told me. * He knows something that I don't even know and that gaze was putting me in the spot light.* I lower my eyes finally, and rub the back of my neck.

Suddenly, I feel something change. My senses tingle and I stand up abruptly just as Jasper rushed to the door of the bedroom, and I follow.

"What do you see?" Jasper asked intently, staring into her eyes.

"I see a room. It's long, and there are mirrors everywhere. The floor is wooden. He's in the room, and he's waiting. There's gold… a gold stripe across the mirrors."

"Where is the room?"

"I don't know. Something is missing - another decision hasn't been made yet."

"How much time?"

"It's soon. He'll be in the mirror room today, or maybe tomorrow. It all depends. He's waiting for something. And he's in the dark now."

"What is he doing?"

"He's watching TV . . No, he's running a VCR, in the dark, in another place."

"Can you see where he is?"

"No, it's too dark."

This was slightly confusing me. Her description of the room with mirrors on all walls of the mirrors was a description of a martial arts studio, or maybe some type of dance studio. The gold stripe confused me though.

And the VCR business too.

"And the mirror room, what else is there?"

"Just the mirrors, and the gold. It's a band around the room. And there's a black table with a big stereo, and a TV. He's touching the VCR there, but he doesn't watch the way he does in the dark room. This is the room where he waits."

Wait…gold bar…all around the room…like a ballet barre. I bite my lip.

"There's nothing else?"

Alice shook her head.

I slowly reach for my computer and Google Ballet Studios in Phoenix, Arizona. A load of mess comes up as results and I streamline the search by adding Abandoned before Ballet and then hit enter again.

In my subconscious I hear a phone ring, and being answered, yet I stay centered on my research.

And I scroll down looking for something for any clues and my eyes spots something that sends warning signals down my entire body and I inhale slowly, reading the address for this place.

58th Street and Cactus..

I commit it to memory and quickly exit out of the search to find everybody bent over the table, with Alice sketching something furiously on a sheet of paper. Yes…definitely a dance studio, and it seems as if Bella recognizes it.

"It's just around the corner from my mom's house. I used to walk there after school . . ." She said, trailing off.

Oh god.

Realization suddenly coursed through me and my eyes widened considerable.

He's planning something! Think, Aly, think. Why would a tracker not follow his trackee, and then sit in a place that used to be frequented by said trackee.

I had looked towards the picture, studying it while thinking.

What's he doing.. Just sitting there.. Watching a VCR tape. It's almost as if he's… waiting. But waiting for what? He obviously got to a place that holds some memorial value to Bella.

Is.. Is he planning on somehow luring Bella to that place? My gaze flashes to Bella before returning to the hand drawn picture again. Yeah that seems.. Highly unusual for the tracker not to actively track… Holy shit.. He's going to herd her there, just like the idiots in downtown that one time. So the luring is going to be a trap. But… the VCR thing.. What is he going to trap her with?

Oh shit… I stare towards Bella and frown.

As much as I'm starting to dislike Bella's high maintenance attitude, I feel it's my duty as a member of the same sex, yet of a stronger nature of her to protect her, no matter how it upsets me. Whatever you're going to do in the future, Bella. I plan to follow you and bail your ass out of trouble, even if it's the death of me, because Edward is very happy with you at his side.

Again, Message me with your comments. I love writing this for fans, and I like the fans to review!


	22. Chapter 22

I'm not going to lie and say that I could totally take care of myself in this type of situation. Oh no. I felt highly abandoned because everybody was focusing their attention on Bella. And this pissed me off, just the slightest touch.

From now on, Jasper and Alice were careful on how loud they spoke if they were in my presence. I periodically took naps, two through three hours apiece, and about ten hours of consciousness between those naps.

Alice was sketching more and more, and Jasper was watching over her.

It wasn't till Bella actually awakened and strolled over to the table that I began to pay attention.

"Did she see something more?" she asked.

"Yes. Something's brought him back to the room with the VCR, but it's light now."

A clear living room shape was beginning to form and Bella points at it. "The phone goes there."

A pause dawns on the room.

"That's my mother's house."

Alice was already on the phone and speaking so quickly that my ears couldn't catch a single word.

I was deadly calm. I still had my wits about me and there was no need for Jasper to influence my feelings.

"Bella, Edward is coming to get you. He and Emmett and Carlisle are going to take you somewhere, to hide you for a while."

"Edward is coming?" Bella asks disgustingly hopeful.

"Yes. He's catching the first flight out of Seattle. We'll meet him at the airport, and you'll leave with him."

"But, my mother . . . He came here for my mother, Alice!"

I was beginning to get a headache, and I turn on my heel and go towards the bathroom, so I could release some of my anger in the shower.

I was walking out in my towel, having forgotten to bring any clothes with me into the room, when the phone rings, and Bella was speaking on it. I turn to stare at her, hard, my gut feeling telling me that there was danger amiss.

"Hello?"

I stand against the wall, staring at her suspiciously as she worked her way to the bedroom, and closed the door.

"Alice….who is she talking to?" I ask quietly.

"Her mother…" She replies, looking at her door as well.

"Oh. Okay. Hopefully Ms. Swan is okay." I frown. I wanted to ask if Alice was CERTAIN that it was her mother that Bella is on the phone with now.

How would James herd Bella into a trap though? I mean, she's obviously not going to just let him herd her. The lure has to be quite believable.

What if… what if she was made to believe that something of important value was threatened.

She had said that her mother called, though my gut feeling said it was definitely not her.

He's… using her mom as bait. But if he's using her mom, wouldn't she be reported as missing? I'm pretty sure that Charlie still keeps in touch with his baby mama.

Just what are you thinking of doing James… what is your next move….

My thoughts were interrupted, because Bella reappeared, and I stared at her hard.

"My mom was worried, she wanted to come home. But it's okay, I convinced her to stay away." Her voice was lifeless. OBVIOUSLY, the asshole fed her lines to say. Because she just performed them so well to us.

"We'll make sure she's fine, Bella, don't worry" Alice replies, concern written all across her face.

And then she turned her back to us.

"Alice…. If I write a letter for my mother, would you give it to her? Leave it at the house, I mean."

"Sure, Bella." Alice hesitated.

She then reentered the bedroom and stayed in there.

I stared hard at the door she disappeared into and furrowed my eyebrows.

I'm not getting something. I'm glancing over a detail that is small and but very necessary

Just what is it. I looked over at the pictures that Alice drew and scrutinized every inch. VCR… Bella's Mom's house… Ballet Studio… fake mom's call…herding… luring… trapping..

I let a fingernail trade over the pictures.

* Okay.. If I were a vampire that smelt a very delicious smelling girl… how would I convince her to come to me? How would I get her away from her good vampires' sides?* I almost glare a hole into the table as I sat on the couch.

* I would obtain something that would make every girl in the world get on her knees to save that something… family, heirlooms, loved ones.. But then those things would have been reported the second that they were taken away. So how did Bella believe her mom was in trouble?*

My eyes glaze over as I imagine this scenario.

* What if.. Her mom was really not in trouble? Then just how did he fucking make her believe her mom was in trouble.. He would have to have a pre-recorded tape of her mom freaking out or something. But where would he have access to a recording of her mom?*

My head snaps up, eyes bee lining towards the picture of Ms. Swan's old house.

*Oh no.. He got… the recording from her house… but where does the VCR come in.. u..unless the recording is actually a VHS cassette… then that would make sense*

My eyes stray towards the drawing of the ballet studio.

* I'm pretty certain that he doesn't really have her mom.*

I stand and finally concentrate on getting dressed in some sweat pants turned sweat capris and a large t-shirt.

Now the next order of business would be to think how she would get out of our grasps.

I had to get my hands on the note for some clues. Because it just looks like Bella's going to do something very stupid and I'm going to follow her to hell.


	23. Chapter 23

Very early in the day I managed to sneak into the bedroom of Bella and searched around in the dark, my eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. I spotted a corner of a small sheet of paper peaking out from underneath her mattress. I, very thankful for the carpeted floors, crawl directly next to her side and pull the note out and open it carefully to read.

Edward,

I love you. I am so sorry. He has my mom, and I have to try. I know it may not work. I am so very, very sorry.

Don't be angry with Alice, Jasper, and Alyson. If I get away from them it will me a miracle. Tell them thank you for me. Alice especially, please.

And please, please don't come after him. That's what he wants, I think. I can't bear to imagine if anyone has to be hurt because of me, especially you. Please, this is the only thing I can ask you now. For me.

I love you. Forgive me.

Bella.

A deep, anguishing pain enveloped my heartstrings and I barely smother a groan as realization pours over my entire body and I start to shake. She is such an idiot. TH AT BASTARD!

I take several small shallow and quiet breaths, trying to calm myself down, and I shake myself into full consciousness, leaning over to return the note, finally.

I slip the note back where it was and pull my exhausted self from her room, fall on the couch, into a deep sleep of nothing.

We were going to the airport, and there, Bella would probably try to make her escape.

I shake myself awake, and make my way over to the kitchen to start the coffee maker. I made sure to put the settings on extra strong because I knew this day was going to be emotionally, and physically exhausting. While waiting on the coffee, Bella herself walks in the kitchen and I look towards my feet, staring hard, to try not to snap at her.

God, it was a struggle not to jump her and strangle the fuck out of her for being so brainless.

My body was relaxed, but my mind was racing in all the different ways I could beat some sense into this girl's head.

She finally walked out, taking her breakfast with her, and I relax against the counter, the urge fading.

After my short shower, I had put on some shorts, a tank top, and some gym shoes, nondescript, normal, and whatever everybody else was wearing at the time, as I have saw when going to a vending machine by myself down the hallway.

I donned sunglasses, and followed Alice out the door.

Half an hour later we found ourselves in a large terminal waiting for Edward's plane to land.

I could tell that Bella was tense and abnormal-looking. I watched her watch the Flight Arrival times. I knew that the time was coming based upon the sight of her getting antsier, if that's a word.

However, when the flight arrival timed flickered to a closer time, Bella stiffened, and I got ready to follow her.

"I'm going to use the restroom, I'll be okay." I didn't wait for a reply and I disappeared into the crowd towards the nearest bathroom.

Once in, I quickly pull off my shades, and clothes and pull on a long sleeved shirt, and [brand new] pants, from my pack that I had taken with me, and I released my dreadlocks from their ponytail and allow them to drape down my back. I pulled on reading glasses, and sidled out of the restroom to wait for a glance of Bella.

And just like that Bella and Jasper who was walking with her, flickered out of my sight and I followed discreetly.

I flip out my cell phone and dial a number quickly as I start to follow.

"This is Alyson Porter and I'm in need of a rental car at the airport in under five minutes. "

"Yes Ms. Porter, right away!"

"Make it a fast car at that."

I didn't even wait for a reply, and I closed the phone with a snap and I watch as Bella slips into the restroom, and I wait for a few seconds before realizing that she escaped most likely and I ran to a map and analyzed it in a split second and I took another path to elevator and luckily I slipped in with a group of travelers and watched over several heads, because I was taller than average for a woman, as Bella skirted the doors and pressed in with all the rest of us.

On the first floor, she was off, sprinting towards the exit, and I calmly follow her, past the baggage claims and other people.

I watched her hop onto a Hyatt shuttle bus which was right behind this Silver Dodge Charger, 2007 edition with the rental company's label on it. I stride up to it, and a salesperson gets out and without a word, I slip a hundred dollar bill into his palm and I smirk.

"Tip."

And he stares at me as I slip into the car and turn in on with a shudder as the beast purrs at me.

Such power excites me.

I set myself to watch the bus behind me in the rearview mirror when a cab presses itself into the tight space between the bus and me. And surprisingly, I see Bella all but step over the couple getting out of the cab to hop into it. And I curse.

"Shit." These fuckers are fast and crazy. I really hope I won't get pulled over with the way I'm going to have to drive.

I immediately pulled the gears into Drive and the cab pulls off with squealing tires. After an entire minute of me wanting to press down on the gas I follow them, cab in sight at all times, yet not far enough away so as not to be obviously following.

This lovely car was so powerful, I had to hold back on going to 120 mph which it could do with just a brush of a touch on the gas pedal.

Barely ten minutes into the chase, the cab stopped off at a nice, empty townhouse, and I parked an entire block from the house to watched Bella ran up to the door and let herself in.

I parked the beast and turned off his engine, watching with edgy nerves and held breath as Bella didn't reappear for a long time.

I let out the breath when I see Bella bust out of the front door and I leave the car, following Bella at a jog to what I guess would now be the Dance Studio. She ran just around the corner and up to a very dark building. I waited several seconds before slowly and cautiously following her into the building

"Sorry about that, Bella, isn't it better that your mother didn't really have to be involved in all this?"

I crouched in a corner, hardly breathing, as Bella's masked my own excellently.

"Yes." She answered

"You don't sound angry that I tricked you."

"I'm not."

"How odd. You really mean it."

I roll my eyes and fully sit on my butt, to rest my knees from the crouch and I place my head against the wall, listening in for quite a while.

I pulled out my phone, silenced it, and texted all the Cullens that I have Bella in sight.

I listened to their conversation, my gut wrenching painfully, and sweat starting to roll down my face and neck.

"Really? I expected a much greater challenge. And after all, I only needed a little luck."

My cell flashed and I quickly opened it to see everyone's text back to me.

Carlisle: "Where are you? What do you think you're doing? I'm just glad that you're with Bella wherever you are…"

Edward: "Where the hell is Bella? Why didn't you stop her?"

Alice/ Jasper: "So that's where Bella went. Are you both okay? I can't believe she tricked me!"

I texted back that everything was fine for now and that everyone should hurry up and get here because two humans aren't a match for a vampire.

And while texting, I still paid attention to whatever James was saying to Bella.

And suddenly I heard the sound of glass breaking and I shot up to the door, and paused. I..shouldn't go in there….I shouldn't go…I backed away from the door, hurriedly texting Edward that blood was starting to spill and I set the phone down, listening in horror to the sounds of more glass and then a sickening CRACK reached my ears and I flinch, tears beginning to run down my face as Bella screamed.

Bella's scream weakens and I hurriedly go through my pack to find my weapon. I wasn't stupid, I know it would have no effect on the bastard of the vampire, but if I could distract him in any way.

I brought out my heaviest gun and softly clicked the safety off. And I waited at the door.

And I wiped my eyes as tears continued to pool, and I heard nothing of Bella's voice except for. "No! No, Edward, don't -"

And then more broken glass and I waited a full minute before I rushed in and vaulted over the television, pulling the trigger at James while I snarl at him loudly.

"Get. The. Fuck. Away. From. Her. You mutha fucking pale ass bitch." I sneer, keeping my eyes on his definitely hungry ones.

" Well, I absolutely KNEW there was a second human!" He grins excitedly. " Although the cut was shallow and bleeding immediately stopped… your blood is quite deliciously potent."

He appears in front of me, making me stiffen and he places his face into my neck, almost making my knees buckle.

" Though your scent is not potent at this moment… it is with a little blood shed.."


	24. Chapter 24

" Oh my… How shall we deal with our brash-mouthed little intruder, dear Bella?" He begins to circle me and I throw the gun to the side, for I know it was useless, and it ends up shattering one of the mirrors.

He soon begins his mind fucking. "Who are you? Funny, there was no mention of you…" He grins, yet I circle him back at his pace, staying silent. "Do the others not care for you? Do they only care about Bella? They view you as unimportant, my dear. Join me. Become my mate, and we will wreck revenge on all of the Cullens." He sneered at me.

I halt, my face emotionless, yet dully noting his invitation.

His voice appears in my ear. "Yes…become one of us. We will teach you the vigor of life, the passion of the hunt. The wildness of the kill."

I stare down at my feet, honestly thinking about it now, tear beginning to pool in my eyes again.

"Does it bother you, my love, that your name wasn't even mentioned, that no plans were centered around. This means, dear Alyson," He pauses getting close to my face again. "This means, that to the Cullens. You have no standing. You are nothing. This is not part of THEIR story. You mean nothing to them. Wonder why they don't directly ask you anything? Directly center plans around you?"

His wild guesses were actually hitting their target, as anxiety filled my mind, and I started to tremble in grief slightly, tears making their way down my face.

He whispers. "Join me. Forget the Cullens. Forget Bella. Forget Carlisle. Forget Forks." He pauses as nearing the finale.

"Forget Edward Cullen."

That totally did it. And I collapse to my knees choking back a sob.

"Join me, Alyson. Become powerful. Become beautiful. Become…DEADLY."

He grips the back of my neck and pulls me up with no effort, to stare him in the face. He hisses to me softly. "What is your choice?"

Flashbacks start to play in my mind, the Mall back at home, my parents, my parent's business, my brother, the Forks decision, my first time at Forks High School, meeting Angela, Eric, Lauren, everybody else…

Meeting *them*, the Cullens. Alice, her butterfly-like elegance and gracefulness, Emmett, his big brother kick-ass attitude, Jasper, another big brother sensitive and reservedness, Esme, my second Mom, Carlisle, my brilliant second Dad, Rosalie, her beautiful blonde, cold self, Bella, her clumsy, yet adorably beautiful persona, and …and…Edward. My best friend. Mi amigo mejor. Beautiful. All of them. Perfectly structured carvings from marble, yet soft marble once you get to know their hearts.

James awakes me from my own personal movie.

"Alyson, what is your choice?"

I cough, speaking softly. "My choice…"

I close my eyes. "My choice, is to see your face when I say to go fuck yourself over and stay the fuck out of my head."

I open my eyes, glaring ferociously at him and he stares at me, as if sympathetic before throwing me across the room, and I hurriedly flip myself so that instead of my head hitting the glass, my feet do and I tumble down into a crouch as numerous glass shards fall all around me.

"YOU MADE THIS HARD ON YOURSELF, DEAR!"

He appears besides me, grabs my hair, and like all girls, I yell out and try to grab his hands, and he bashes my skull into the mirror and I immediately see stars and feel skin tearing in my scalp. Yet no blood just yet.

He shoves me against the wall hard and my knee smacks against the barre so hard that I feel the muscles tearing in it, and I hold back a scream as my arm twisted uncomfortably behind my back and his chest pressed against me and he whispers.

"It's such a shame that you chose this route my love. It's quite horrible actually. But even to me, you're second best. I'll take my time with Bella and you're next. You're lucky you pulled me away from biting Bella..I was just centimeters away, just CENTIMETERS away from tasting her sweet blood." He groans and shoves me against the wall again, but this time I actually scream because he twists my arm completely out of socket.

"Oops, I'm sorry dear." And then he suddenly pauses. My brain was already trying to shut my consciousness down to prevent any more emotional, physical, and psychological pain. I was becoming very, very dizzy, and dazed.

"It seems…that my plans have to be cut short." He smirks, pulling my neck back and whispering in my ear. "I'll leave you and the Cullens a nice present… in fact, not one, but two presents.." I hear him chuckle as his breath approaches my ear and he smacks my head against the wall a final time, knocking me fully unconscious easily.

I didn't stay in this state for long, because I woke up right when James was getting torn apart from James and I sit up, cradling my useless, hanging arm and wincing from my knee and my head hurt like a bitch, yet I could clearly hear the freakishly ecstatic voice of James one last time.

"Enjoy your presents that I gave you, CULLENS! I hope you like them!" And with that, I heard the sickening cracks and sounds of marble meat being torn apart into many pieces, and then a fire was suddenly started.

I sit up, forcing myself to stand up now, limping from my bad knee and I drag myself to the others, sitting down and leaning against the television, breathing heavily. Those knocks to the head were paining me bad.

And that's when Edward finished sucking something out of Bella and I whisper.

"What's he doing?"

"He's sucking James's venom from Bella's bloodstream" Carlisle explained quickly while setting Bella's injuries.

And then he turns to me while I stare stupidly at him. "Venom? As in venom to turn someone all super hero like Spiderman and his spider?"

Carlisle chuckles as he looks me over, carefully. "Almost like that. Venom would turn humans to vampires."

"What's the verdict, doctor?" I ask, slightly humorously.

"You're the extremely lucky one, with just deep bruising on the skull, from a blow to the head of some sort. You arm was wrenched out of socket, easily fixable with some strength, and a sling, and then… your knee is sprained again. No broken bones, no blood at all, which is amazing, no nothing. However, I'd take a look at those holes in your ear, your piercing are supposed to go in both of them right after the initial piercing…Thanks Alice." I feel small, quick hands place two tiny diamond studs in an ear each, which in total was four studs.

The thing was, as suspicion rose in my being, I have never gotten my ears pierced in the first place, and now I have two on each ear? What the hell? My head was beginning to hurt, so to save myself from pain I tried to stop thinking altogether. I just couldn't piece anything together because Emmett was crouching next to me, grinning.

"That sweet thing outside is your rental? Dear lord, that is NICE!" I tiredly stare at him and murmur. "Oh yes…His engine is a beast…" And then I feel somebody wrap an arm around my torso from behind and a loud shout. "NOW!"

And Carlisle had pulled my shoulder back into socket, and I scream so loudly that I'm left breathless at the end of my voice, a sob leaving my sore throat as I fold my body over my arm. Somebody picks me up effortlessly, as waves of sleepiness rafts over my body.

I turn towards the person's cold chest and mutter. "The least you both could have done was to warn me… Carlisle and Jasper…"

And with that, I lose consciousness for a much longer time.

I still like the feedback if you have the time to do it!


	25. Chapter 25

I awakened with a start, all systems frantically speeding up and my eyes didn't have enough time to dilate because pain shot through my irises as white exploded inside and outside of the pupil.

I hiss loudly, throwing a palm over my eyes and almost poking a hole through my skull from the piece of technology leeching at my thumb. I groan and switch hands, squinting as my eyes slowly grew accustomed to my surroundings. I clearly saw that I was in the hospital. The IV beside me was dripping annoyingly, and the heart monitor beeped quietly showing my beautiful heartbeat.

I run my hands through my hair exasperatedly, and watch as a nurse magically appears inside my room with a clipboard, and checks all my stats.

I clear my throat softly, as she appraises me. "Um…how bad am I, Mrs….?"

"Just call me Jackie, sweetheart. And you're amazingly fine! When you first came in here, you had substantial bruising along the temple, and knee, as well as some torn ligaments in your shoulder and knee. Nothing a sling and a brace can't fix through time." She smiles sweetly and unwraps my head. "But right now, the bruises disappeared and all you have to do is wear the sling and brace."

She checks me over a second time and smiles, writing her finds on the clipboard. "It seems that fall through the window didn't hurt you as much as the other girl. Poor girl. She fell down two flights of stairs, and took you along with her through the window. Poor soul, she sustained more damage then you did."

She hangs the clipboard on the door and turns to me. "You may be able to leave with the clearance from Doctor Hottie over there…" She lets out a small swoon, and fans herself. "What a mightily fine one he is." That is so what I call him in my head! I smile a small smile, and curl up on my side, yawning gently.

Jackie leaves the room with a wink and I crack up.

Carlisle walks in with all of his sparkling glory with a smile on his face.

"I bet you heard that." I chuckle under my breath and sit up completely now.

"You do have the clearance to leave, Alyson, but Bella is in a more serious state than you, so we aren't going home till she recovers. You can hang out with the others until she does though."

I nod, and he sets my brace on my knee tightly, and I almost swear at the tenderness in the ligaments.

"Can I not wear a sling? Please? I really don't want to have one free arm…Please!"

He sighs, shaking his head and warns me. "No lifting heavy objects. Heavy as in over 10 pounds."

I nod. "Sure thing doc, sure thing. Just no sling please."

He hands me a bundle of clothes.

"Compliments of Alice. And Jasper has your rental car out front, so he's ready when you are. And you can't drive for a few days, by the way."

I shake my head , growling and he just laughs walking off.

I hurriedly strip off the IV, and the thumb technology and I pull on clean clothes on. Almost shuddering at what Alice brought for me.

A short yellow mini-skirt and a tiny black tube top thing that hugged everything and yet covered it up.

Damn it, Alice. I felt naked!

As for shoes, she gave me regular sandals, thank God, and I buzzed my bumblebee self right out of the front door and straight into the passenger side of my Dodge Charger, and we were off. Jasper and I.

My cell suddenly rang and I picked it up on the first round.

"Hello?"

"Hey baby! This is mommy!"

"Hey mom….what's up?" I roll my eyes, a smile gracing my lips as I looked out the window.

"We're coming back in a few days, love! To check up on you and your grades. By the way, what were you thinking on getting a 93? How terrible of you to get an A minus in that one class! What class was that? I don't know, but you need to work on that, dear. We didn't raise a dummy."

I burst out laughing and choke out. "Sure thing mom. Sure thing."

She laughs with me and relief spreads through my body, hearing the voice that had raised me for almost seventeen years.

"Hey mom. I'll see you later. I was just visiting a friend, okay?"

"Yeah sure! We're coming to you on Sunday! See you later, babe."

"Bye mom."

Click.

"So…."

Jasper's golden eyes quickly assessed me before a huge smirk ran across his lips. "I liked what you said to James… What a mindfucker."

And I burst out laughing all signs of injury melting off my conscience, and we had a great time laughing, heading back to our hotel.

"Oh and Alyson. Never, ever, ever, bet against Alice."

I rolled my eyes, smiling. "Of course not. Of course not. I know better than ever."

And I smiled. I truly smiled.

EPILOGUES: Yes Even those I'm editing.


	26. Chapter 26 Epilogue 1

WARNING: SLIGHT RISQUE CONTENT AHEAD. IF YOU HAVE ASTHMA, HAVE YOUR INHALER ON SIGHT.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Epilogue Number One ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was just laying around, in a tank top and shorts, pigging out on popcorn and soda while watching the movie 300. HELL YEAH! Hot men who worked out directly on the set is awesomeeeeeee..

Anyways!

For the past few weeks, my parents came home, and are home now, upstairs…doing the dirty, in their room, and I swear if I had somewhere to go I would be going there right now, but everybody is busy right now…why?

Because, PROM!

EVERYBODY'S FREAKING OUT ABOUT PROOOOOOOOM.

And me?

I don't give a shit.

Ohhhh…Alice would bury me alive if she heard me say that, but she's not here!

My thoughts are interrupted by several thumping noises, and my eyes widen in disbelief, and I turn up the volume to try and drown out those sounds, yet I feel it through the roof and floor and shit.

And then my mom starts screaming my dad's name out, over, and over, and over again, and I lets out a small squeal of indignation, turning off the damn television and grabbing the nearest coat, keys, my cell and a small stack of green bills on the counter before high tailing my ass out of there.

"YOU COULD TELL SOMEONE THAT YOU'RE DOING THAT! ICK…PPPPPAAARREEEENNNNTSSSSS, OH MY VIRGIN EARS..MY VIRGIN EARS…"

I slam the door on my way out.

Oh yes, it was damn cold. Yet, I'm not really bothered by the cold.

I hop in my Toyota, my baby, and I back out the drive way haphazardly, tires squealing.

I couldn't get out of the house fast enough, and right now, I was driving to nowhere, absolutely nowhere.

You know what I was really craving at exactly this moment?

I really wanted some fast food. Like a huge cheeseburger, fries, and a milk shake….

Oh yeah….

You better believe I pulled an illegal U-turn and sped off to the nearest Steak and Shake.

Ten minutes later:::

I sat by myself at a booth, stuffing my face with fries and cheeseburger with the occasional sip of my super chocolate milkshake. And you know what, I was in pure greasy fast food heaven.

I polished everything off within five minutes, and I leaned back, resting from my overexertion and rubbing my tummy.

And look who we have here, who just walked in like a little model.

"Why hello there Alice.." I had a bad feeling about seeing her here.

She wrinkles her nose at me, as she sits down, yet her face carefully forms into a grin, as she stares at me.

"Wild day?"

I grin back. "You have no idea…"

I chuckle and sip on my shake noisily.

"I'm not playing dress up with you, Alice…"

Her jaw drops. "I didn't even say anything!"

"Yes. Because I'm not going to prom. Simple as that."

It's almost as if the entire restaurant silenced at that.

That's how incredulous Alice became. She spoke in a very quiet, and honestly scary voice. It freaked me out more than James's mind-fucking strategy.

"You're going to prom even if I have to drag you by your toe nails…"

And I press myself into the corner, nodding back at her, scared as hell, and I nod, squeaking. "Okay…"

She brightens up immensely now, excited. "OH my god! Rosalie, Bella, I, and you need to go shopping! I absolutely know you don't have any dresses that are for prom.." She stares at me hard. "All of us are going to Port Angeles! Tomorrow 8:00 sharp! I'll pick you up at 7:00!"

She chirps, literally chirps, excitedly, her mouth mumbling so quick I really didn't catch anything she says and dances out of the restaurant happily.

It didn't hit me until about 5 minutes after she left:

OH FUCCCCKKKKK!

NOOOOOOOOOO!

I HATE SHOPPING!. I HATE PROM! I HATE DRESSES! MY LIFE IS OVEEEEEEEEEER…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

With all this yelling in my head, I didn't see the bronze-haired one walk in until a cold hand placed itself on my forehead.

"Are you feeling alright, Aly?" Edward's musical voice filled my ears, and I don't even react, as I whisper horrified.

"I'm going to hell tomorrow…with Alice and Rosalie….in something called a shopping mall…"

Edward tenses, and I look up to see with narrowed eyes that he's biting his lip to keep from laughing.

"Yeah... I already knew.. I read Bella's text message when she woke up. Exactly when she woke up."

I stand up, throwing a twenty dollar bill on the table and I slouch my way out. "I know…fuck it all."

But then my cell started to buzz, and I pulled it out. And on it, a text from Alice.

"You are responsible for your own date. And you have to have one. Everybody else is paired up. ^.^ Toodles! Alice loves you!"

"I need a date? What?"

Buzzzzzzzz…

"Yes you do, Aly. And since prom is in only a week, you need to hurry. Almost all choices are occupied! Get going now. ^.^"

I stare at Edward. "Dude..your sister …fuck…I don't even want to take anybody to the damn prom. I don't even want to go…"

I whine, and wave goodbye at him.

Who….just who…would I ask to prom, myself…Sure I got the estranged invite from some boy, but…I just knew I wasn't going to attend so I politely declined every single offer…

I know for sure that Bella would drag herself to the prom, cast and all, with Edward, Rosalie with Emmett, and Alice with Jasper.

Damnit….If only I could ask Esme to borrow Dr. Hottie for a few hours… wait… actually that's a pretty good idea.

My phone buzzed and I read a text from Alice:

"Prom night is usually when Carlisle and Esme like to go wild, nobody's at home for hours, and it's just the two of them alone. Need I go on?"

I slapped my face in horror of the images assaulting my brain.

Oh my god, not those two too!

I sigh loudly, and pull up into my drive way just as I see Billy Black wheel himself into The Swan Residence, and I blink, looking at this tall, very well built young man beside him.

Wow….Can anyone say hottie, 300 looking man….

Hold on, wait a damn second..

That can't be Jacob…can it?

I just saw the guy..and he looked so awkward for a teen! But I could definitely see the resemblance. Less awkward, haircut, taller, and filled out.

An idea forms in my mind, and I take a deep breath and wander over to Charlie's place. I knock on the door softly.

Charlie opens the door with a smile on his face. "Hey Alyson! How's it going? Come in, come in. It's brittle out there. How is Bella doing with that cast?"

And I answered him with the utmost honesty. " One hundred percent, no two hundred percent clumsy."

I had been briefed on what had happened, and I can honestly say that our escapade to Arizona had aged Charlie somewhat. I see some gray hairs forming and I smile wirily.

"Hey, Charlie. Just dropped by to see how you were doing after baking that shit ton, I mean the huge platter of brownies…."

"I'm fine, thank you so very much. Those brownies you made last week were excellent. They hit the spot. There's still a quarter of the platter left if you want to help yourself."

And he went off into the kitchen, leaving me with the two dark-skinned Natives.

"How are you doing, Alyson. A pleasure to see you again."

I tilt my head, letting out a smile and nods. "Good to see you too, Mr. Black"

"Oh please. Just Billy. And I would love to try a plate of those brownies. You'll have to come over sometime and bake me a 'shit ton' of them" he smiles brightly, but immediately turns serious.

"The elders at the reservation want to meet you, Alyson."

I give a faint nod. "Of course, Mr..- Billy."

And Charlie comes back to the living room with a huge bowl of chips, and dip, and a six pack of beer, along with a plate of brownies, and turns on the television to a baseball game.

"Thanks for the invitation, Mr. Charlie. I've got to go now."

And I look directly to Jacob, and I raise my eyebrow at him.

"You've grown…" I begin. I jerk my thumb over my shoulder.

"So have you." He cracks a wide grin, and eases off the couch. I only shake my head in silent laughter.

I turn on my heel and begin to trek to the front door, and I narrow my eyes as my phone begins to buzz and I turn back to Jacob.

"I'd like to ask you a question. Outside if you don't mind."

He raises his own eyebrow now, nods, and mumbles something to Billy before grabbing his keys and making his way towards me.

And I got a really good look at him. Jacob was tall and lightly muscled.

His broad nose sat on his face regally, and his high cheekbones pronounced his dark brown, chocolate eyes, offset by his shoulder length beautiful hair ( it wasn't cut all the way, but just enough where it didn't look like weave), and his dark olive toned skin. His lips were thick and kissable ( yes I like looking at lips too), and his smile was getting bigger by the second.

"Done checking me out?"

I roll my eyes, and turn, trying to hide my blush and walking out the front door.

And only when he firmly shuts the door behind him, I begin.

"Hi. I don't think we formally met. I'm Alyson Porter."

"Jacob Black. Such a pleasure to meet you face to face instead of hearing that this chick was eavesdropping on me from someone else."

I blink. Fuck, he knows? I burst out laughing, and throw up a peace sign.

"I had to know what the hell was going on. I got what I came for, but now I need something else, and I'm asking you for it up front."

He smirks, leaning against the door of his father's truck.

"I'm a virgin."

I had to pause a second, tilt my head and carefully go over his words before turning a bright color underneath the dark skin and I squeal indignantly lunging at him and giving him a full nelson.

"What the fuck you pervert! I wasn't thinking like that! Now that you said that I AM! For fuck's sake, be a good teenage boy and think with the head on your fucking shoulders!"

He struggled with his laughter, easily, removing himself from my grip ( I had huffed angrily at him for that), and setting himself in front of me, hands on my shoulders.

" Chill, hehe, I was just kidding, but you really did ask for it. Ask your question."

I turn my head the other way mumbling. " Will you please go to prom with me?"

That fucker so knew what I said, I saw him grin from the corner of my eyes.

"What was that Alyson, I couldn't quite hear you."

I growl, very slowly speaking the words again. " Would. You. Please. Go. To. Prom. With. Me?"

"OOOOH ALYSON! I think this would look GREAT on you!"

Alice threw about ten dresses and twenty pairs of dangerously high heels.

I throw an exasperated glance at her.

"What? Since your future decided to disappear on me, I don't know which dress you are to wear, and Bella is predictable, and you don't have any dresses! Therefore, you have to try them ALL on!"

I snarl at her silently, and she clicks her tongue at me.

"The faster we get this done, the faster we can get your chocolate…"

I stare at her in disbelief, whispering. "How did you know?"

I NEVER told anybody about my chocolate addiction. NEVER!

Alice just taps her head, and shoos me into the dressing room.

And once there, the process of elimination and decimation begins.

I don't want a black dress, five dresses instantly destroyed. I don't want a sparkly dress, most of the dresses find themselves thrown on the floor outside of the dressing room. I don't want all my goods to hang out from the front, there goes two more. And I'm left with four. My favorite colors of the group are the purple, dark blue, and dark green one. Three left.

By trying all three of them on, I eliminated one, because it didn't fit me at all because I didn't have a flat figure, and almost choked the fuck out of me, the cloth was stretched too much around my hips, ass, and breasts. Yeah, definitely not. The other two looked so damn good on me if I do say so myself.

The dark blue one, reached the floor, yet with heels and my height, it would give me clearance of tripping on it, and had a slit way up to my upper thigh. The material was of the prettiest blue silk, and the shoulder straps, spaghetti, crossed in the back and was backless until it wrapped around my hips snuggly.

This dress went very well with the silver, sparkling ugh, three inch strapped heels.

The other one, the dark green, was strapless, and fell down in brilliant hues to my knees, bunching at the waist and down. If I wore this one, there would be no bow, since the bow made it so much more childish.

And this dress went terribly awesome with the silver sparkly heels too.

The safe dark green or dangerous dark blue one.

The hot or cold one.

Hmmm…

Definitely dangerous.

I strip it off, and carefully hang in on the hanger.

"You done already? We picked out all of our dresses already, and we want to see yours!"

I just sidle out from the fitting room, with the dress carefully folded, and the shoes hidden underneath. "Oh, it's okay. I choose this one willingly." I let out a small mischievous smile.

And Alice eyes me warily. "Whatever… I have make up for everybody, and….I'm going to maintenance your locks for you. I learned how to do it on you tube." She announced happily. "And now…I guess we can reward you for actually choosing your own dress… Here." She brandishes a super large Hershey's chocolate bar, and my mouth waters. Literally, my lips were parted and my teeth revealed, as though ready to take a bite of that delicious, milky, sweet chocolate. Oh god…..

She throws it at me, and I catch it, hurriedly unwrapping it, and sitting down to fully enjoy the bliss of the sugary goodness, my toes curling, eyes closing, abdomen flexing, legs crossing, and taste buds tingling in a delightful world of deliciousness.

I did notice that Rosalie had cracked a smile, seemingly amused, and tugged my prom items away from me, and I let her, too caught up in my pleasure.

By the end of the day, I was totally high off of the chocolate, no kidding! Chocolate is dangerous to me! Yet it's so damn good, it's my weakness.. HA!

One day before Prom:

The school allowed us the entire week off for preparations for the prom, how generous, and so this week was a week of rest and laziness for me. I grin as I awakened, with a partly cloudy sky.

Again, in the past few days, I noticed that I awakened seemingly a centimeter taller, and as Alice had advised, I sold all my pants to the clothing shop, and had taken to wearing shorts, sweats, and ick, a few skirts. I didn't know how tall I had gotten, it's just that it takes me a bit of time to balance again.

Damn growth spurts, yet it may be because, I'm about to turn. Oh yeah..I have come to terms with it. Partly because, I don't know any other way to categorize my sudden growing. And now that I think about it, some of my body has changed too.

When I look in the mirror, I was used to seeing, thick, muscular me, somewhat average height.

Now….I see a defined, bad ass, body, heightened to at least five foot nine, and long, toned legs, defined muscle tone along the back, shoulders, arms, thighs, shins, abdomen, and yes, even my breasts have been somewhat perked up by this change in body. I used to wear like a 32B, I'm on my way to a 36B/C, leaning towards C right now.

Ah…my transformation is soon to come. Anytime when the breasts are changed…

I laugh out loud, and step away from the mirror, slipping on a another tank, and some sweats, and I pack a small overnight bag, and a fancy traveling bag with my dress in there, and shoes in the box they came in.

Once loading this all into the car, I leave a message on my parents' newly bought dry erase board that hung on their door, and I was making my way to the Cullens' household! How interesting the next few days will be, oh yeah.

Arriving at the Cullens' house, I see that Bella was already there, and I hop out, brining everything with me, and stride up to the door which opens up as soon as I take my first step onto the stairs.

I smile happily at Alice, chirping. "Hey Alice!" And I skip in.

I smile and wave at everybody else, and Alice shoves me, gently, up the stairs and to her room, where she grabs my stuff, and sits me down in front of hundreds of beauty products. Eye shadow, Eyeliner, Concealer, lip gloss, lip stick, Vaseline, hair products, gel, bronzer…all type of shit.

"First! We are going to determine the type of make up for your dress…" I shake my head adamantly.

"Oh hell no! I will not look like a clown with caked on make up."

"No! No, no! I was just going to put eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara on you, as well as lip gloss. You don't need everything that the whites do." She smirks. "You're really beautiful, already, Alyson.."

I smile softly, and allow her to do her several make up coloring tests on me.

Even if she said I was beautiful, that still didn't make me unbored for an entire hour.

When she was done, and as she promised, my hair looked freaking awesome, I was about to drown myself in board games and cards, and stuff. And I rarely play those things!

Finally, I hauled myself out of the way of Alice's quick hands, and hid in Edward's room, which was right down the hall.

And in his room, I was lounging on his couch, listening to one of his classical music CD's, and reading one of his millions of books.

His room kept me occupied for at LEAST four entire hours. A perverted thought crept into my mind: I wonder how HE would keep me occupied in his room….

OH GOD! BAD ALYSON, BAD! Okay, okay. I can admit, that I have a tendency to stare at him. But same goes for Emmett, and Jasper! I mean, I AM a girl, whether, I act like one or not, and I've learned that girls love to stare… Yes…we do..

It took me a moment to realize that I was staring at Edward and he was staring back. Can you say awkward. I quickly averted my eyes and felt my ears get a little warm.

I sent a picture, that was a close up of the fabric, to Jacob telling him in the captions that this was the color of the dress. Anything to busy myself from realizing I was ogling Edward.

This amazing sent wafted to my nose and on cue, my stomach gurgled and I had to hold onto it in fetal position as I grinned at Edward.

The Cullens didn't even have to say anything to me. I just popped up in the kitchen, sitting at the bar to watch patiently as Esme cooked, very comfortable looking in her kitchen.

"This smells delicious, Ma!"

And a smile crossed my face, full of happiness, and lightness.

It was pretty peaceful for me, getting ready for Prom. It didn't start in at least five hours, yet, everybody was going crazy for it. Well…all the girls except for me.

I was just reading Edward's book again.

And I was taking my time, not freaking out like some people, Bella, and going crazy looking for my shoes, Rosalie, and glaring at me like I was the one that was crazy, Alice as she was rushing past the living room for something.

Na. I was just fine. I don't like freaking out. There's no point to it. All it does is rack up your blood pressure. And so! I just let everything flow.

So the day went just fine, with me, Carlisle, and Esme talking about the best medical schools and me, Edward, Jasper, and Emmett questioning the rest of the girls if they thought their dates were going to disappear or something, lame, I know, from how fast they were running to get to the bathroom.

When the boys asked me if I was going to join them, I was like. "PPPFFFFT. You must think I like getting ran over."

And they were laughing hard by the time I finished telling them what the girls resembled in my opinion.

I just tell it how it is.

A few hours later, I decided to drag myself upstairs, and start my shower. By that time, the girls were done pampering themselves, hair, face, nails, toes, and stuff, I was just taking my shower.

Not even ten minutes later, I dropped out of the beautiful rain and dried myself off.

Edward had said that I could use his bathroom, so I glanced at his counter, seeing make up, guessing that it was for me, and I lazily started to put it on, though I placed it on carefully. Just slowly, I guess you can say, because I wasted thirty minutes on just make-up. You can tell how delighted I was to getting made up.

Once done, I slid my slinky prom dress on, and fastened everything that needed to be fastened, and I slipped on my heels, and being since I was already like 5'9". These bitches put me over 6'0". I almost hurt myself laughing as I cat walked my way out of Edward's room.

And so here, all the girls stood, checking each other over, well.. They were, I didn't really give a damn, was heading towards the stairs.

Before a cold grip, sent me towards the back of the group. Rosalie quietly whispers. "I think you'd give everyone a nose bleed with that dress."

I just snicker and follow Bella down the stairs, Alice first, and Rosalie second.

I walked easily in these towers of death for females, putting one leg in front of the other with the experience of a super model.

"Beautiful…" Esme whispered, and I blink, because she was standing besides me, and was talking to me.

I blush, whispering back. "Thank you.."

I was so unused to being complimented. Not that I needed them, but they made me feel all warm inside and tingly.

And then Esme, Dad, Mom, and Charlie, who were all invited over for some odd reason proceeded to unload flashing hell all over us. There were at least TEN digital cameras that were going off. Like really? I was almost going blind, before Alice shooed them away, and we all took off to the limo. Yes. Limo.

I quickly slipped my cell out of the little thigh sheath that I bought from a store, and checked my texts from Jacob.

~ Pretty color. I've got the perfect itchy wrist thing for you. ~

I bite my lip to keep from laughing and returned the cell to its case right when we turn into the parking lot, and pull up to the front door. It dazzles me how decorated everything on the outside is.

Streamers, and curtains, and stuff everywhere.

The driver opens our door, and everybody files out, I'm sure with everybody staring at them.

So, I say to just let their eyes feast on the seven of us, and I slid out, gracefully.

And as the seven of us walked to the front door, Jacob hooked my arm in his, and escorted me into the dance hall.

And once their, he looked me over, and raises an eyebrow. "Alyson, you're trying to seduce me."

I smirk at him, and I dip down into a very, very low curtsy in front of everybody, allowing my long, bare leg to stretch out in front of me, as my back knee almost touched the ground, mere inches from it.

"Of course not jailbait. But it is good to see you."

He placed a perfect colored corsage on my wrist and we broke away from the group to dance our asses off for the entire dance.

Almost three hours later, my feet were pretty much comfortable in the heels, and my hair was okay, and I wasn't sweating that much.

I was sipping on a large cup of punch, when a pale hand extended itself in front of me.

"May I please have this dance?"

I look up to see Jasper smiling down at me.

"Why certainly."

And off I go once again. With a Cullen.

And then I was gracefully passed off to Emmett, and I curtsied deeply again, before being expertly twirled off into a waltz that left me laughing, and breathless, and then finally, I was pressed into Edward's arms, and he was just shining.

"You look great, Alyson."

"As do you, Edward." I whisper, choking on my breath, because he was so close. Nobody else made me react this way. Yeah, I thought he was attractive, as well as the other Cullen men.

A lilting waltz was being played, and I think Edward by far was the best dancer of everybody, because we created a space in the dance floor as we twirled, turned, and twisted, almost as if we were professional.

The music turned without warning. Fast, hot , and passionate. A tango. Sexy ballroom dance.

We both adjusted to the tempo and style of music, seductive, sexy and playful with attitude as we demanded attention for the brusque style of ballroom dance that we both seemed to know.

My abdomen muscles were clenching at the effort of the quick twisting of the hips, his large on my hip burning straight through the material of the dress, pushing and caressing my body to do his bidding in this tango and my heels stamped the floor, with my quick steps.

This continued a few more minutes, everybody was off the dance floor now, but all of my attention was on Edward, his dark eyes staring straight into mine, no breaking of eye contact even when the music once again turned into a much more dramatic, slower piece, usually for Paso Dobles, serious, dramatic, strong, and bold.

His grip tightened, and roughened, while our movements became loud, brash, big, and strong.

We both made our movements and dance exactly like that: as dramatic as possible. Edward showcasing his strength, throwing me in the air, and tossing me around his body, only to catch me in what appeared to be a rough, dominating style, and we hit that dance floor hard, circling each other, in character, in a predatory sense.

I got lost into his eyes, the dark golden color mesmerizing my mind, yet not my body as it responded to his guidance immediately.

The dark tone of his eyes amazed me. I felt as if my eyes were tracing his very [hungry] soul, during this Spanish ballroom dance, and then the music was starting its faster tempo, signifying the impending end, and as the tempo sped, up so did we. His throwing got a lot more daring, his rough handling got a little more dominating, not hurting me but making me breathless, as he turned me with furious precision, his hand on my neck guiding me around his form at a precarious speed.

The music ended with a blaring of trumpet, and he threw me across his shoulders, allowing me to swing around his body and dropping into a split once I hit the ground, quickly twisting around his leg to land in a pool of dress, me, and light sweat at his feet, while glaring up at him.

AND THE DANCE HALL EXPLODED WITH APPLAUSE!

I was shaken out of my daze, and I gasped heavily. I grabbed Edward's extended hand, and leaped up, curtsying to everyone, and smiling embarrassed.

I hear Edward's quiet whisper. "Have you trained at all, in ballroom style dance, Alyson?"

I nod, and help myself to somebody's cup of punch at our table. "Yes, way back in middle school though. Classes were boring." Playing nonchalance, is amazing.

Jacob eventually replaces Edward, and we start chatting, about everything and nothing. And I feel for this poor boy, because it's almost obvious that he wants to be with Bella.

Nature calls, and I comment politely, that I need to excuse myself, and I head to the restroom.

Alice suddenly appears and as soon as I finished washing my hands, she hauls me off to the dance floor, just as the lights flicker and the principle climbs on stage.

I bite my lip and turn to her and she grins evilly back at me.

I try and shuffle away from her but she keeps a very tight grip.

Oh no…

The principle clears his throat in the microphone and announces in a clear distinct voice.

"Hello students of Forks High School, right now is the time to announce… the Prom King and Queen!"

Several cheers erupted and I stopped struggling to look at Alice, a confused look on my face.

A growing feeling of dread washes over me and I cross my arms, irritably, looking down at the floor as I hear the principle speak again.

" And with an outstanding 65% majority vote…. Edward Cullen is pronounced as Forks High School 2005 Prom King!"

Several girlish squeals, and cheers again erupted and I glared even harder at the floor.

" With a record setting 85% majority vote, the Forks High School 2005 Prom Queen is…"

My stomach dropped out of my ass, as I looked up towards the principle with trepidation.

Oh god no..

" Alyson Porter!"

You know those movies and stories where the ugly girl turned Prom or Homecoming Queen realizes that she's won and a fucking spot light centers in on her? Well yeah… that is so true and clique at this moment.

Thunderous applause, shouts, and swelled in the gymnasium as Alice dutifully dragged - I mean escorted me up the stage, handing me off to Edward with a wicked grin to take the fake little crown, and put it on my head.

I was still shocked, as Edward took my hand, and escorted me to the dance floor, and loosely took the form of a waltz as the Prom King and Queen dance song came on.

He was grinning, amused. " Record setting, hmmm? You cease to amaze me, kid."

That thoroughly snapped me out of my daze and I huff a little, before he suddenly twirled me out of his arms, and snapped me back into his arms, my back to his chest, and my arms crossed across my chest as I held onto his hands, his arms trapping me to his chest.

My eyes were wide as he whispers, his lips mere inches away from my temples, I felt his breath on my face concentrated in that area.

" This was a rather pleasant surprise. Alice has had trouble seeing anything related to Prom up until recently."

I whisper somewhat hoarsely. " You mean you didn't read people's minds on who they voted for? I mean.. I honestly voted for you and Bella, I didn't want to vote in the first place, but yeah.. Sort of a big deal in this small town place."

" I skipped that day. Plus I don't read minds twenty four- seven. That's an invasion of privacy." I could practically feel the grin on his face when he says this.

I sigh softly in understanding as I relax back into his embrace, very comfortably.

I hear him mumble. " Oh fuck." seconds before somebody yells.

"Kiss!"

My stomach drops again as my eyes open wide and I turn to look at several grins before the entire floor starts chanting it and I wildly look around for Bella and stare at her as she looks rather pissed off about this entire situation, she slowly points to her cheek and I sigh in appreciation before grasping Edward's face with one hand, and looking up at him as he stares down at me.

Our faces were centimeters apart, our lips millimeters from touching and I turn my face to kiss his cheek, a warm tingly feeling spreading through my lips before I pull back and smirk cheekily at the audience who groans.

Before they could start making more outrageous requests, Edward firmly grabs my hand and pulls me from the dance floor, since the song was done anyways, and out into the night air.

I sit on a bench, daintily so as not to wrinkle the dress, and let out a huge breath.

He sits on the other side of me, a grin on his face, though with a slight undertone of ..something dark and dangerous in my mind so I didn't focus too intently on it.

" Well… I believe that tests the boundaries of being friends."

I choke back a laugh, failing miserably when I had to add to it. " Best friends even. AHAHAHAHAHA." I shrug and give him a hug, being careful with the crown upon my head, and I depart from him.

Just as soon as I left, I let out another breath before passing by a stern looking Bella, and disappear into the bathroom.

After several minutes of careful composure, and locking away some emotions, and ultimately some of the memories from the past few hours, I stop outside looking at the beautiful fountain in the courtyard, and I happen to spot Bella and Edward. Something made me walk a little bit slower, as I eavesdropped on them.

"Yes it is enough. Enough forever."

I heard Edward argue softly, yet firmly.

Yet then, his eyebrows furrow, and he speaks in a much softer voice.

"I am not cheating on you with Alyson dear. It was just a dance. She even asked you permission to kiss my cheek… how is that intimate?"

Another pause. " I love YOU, Bella. Don't worry about that."

My eyes open wide, and I back up, stunned.

No way. Bella didn't say a word out loud.

IMPORTANT:

Holy shit writing this made ME breathless and squirmish, and I needed time to write this one.. Holy fuck.. Hope you guys enjoy.


	27. Chapter 27

Epilogue Number Two:

Emmett groaned, loudly.

" Ahhhh, yeah… right there."

Silence.

" Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, fuck that feels so fucking good."

Emmett purred, yes, purred as I walked up and down his back on my hands.

Yes. On my hands.

You see…

Somehow, I convinced Emmett to allow me to do a handstand on his back. And now, since he said the way my weight was pressing back on him, he was commanding me to shift my weight forward, backward, to the left, or to the right!

I grunt, and slowly walk my way up to his shoulders, and he produces a loud groan. I twirl a little bit, staying on his shoulders and his breath hitches.

I snicker quietly, and he mutters. "Shut up."

I burst out laughing, and unfortunately for me, Edward happens to walk in on me, and I laugh even harder, completely losing my balance. Before I fell on my ass though, Emmett tosses me right side up and catches my feet in his hands and I immediately stand ramrod straight, my eyes wide as I almost whimper.

"HEY! Alyson you really would be an awesome cheerleader!" Alice chirps happily as she appears below us as Emmett yawns into one hand…

" Oh really?" I look down at Emmett.

"Gotchya." He nods up at me and I smirk pulling my leg up in front of me right by my face and pull my arm through, a Bow and Arrow.

"You are so coming to college with us. Cheering with you would be awesome." Emmett smirks as he lightly tosses me and I twist down and fall into his arms in a cradle.

"Hell yeah!" I grin.

I know Edward, Bella, and Carisle were in the dining room speaking about the mind reading thing, while the rest of us were just hanging out.

" So… I have to hire Esme as my head chef when I open a restaurant, and I am going to whichever prestigious school you guys choose and try out for their cheerleading team, am I right?"

Alice nods so cheerfully, pun unintended. " Yeah! You do! We'll be sure to even go to a graduate school so you can get your Medical license! That's an extra 4 years in college!"

Alice squeals happily and runs off, presumably to Jasper.

It was a few days before graduation and every single Cullen except for the graduating was a Junior Marshall. Edward and Alice dumbed themselves down just enough to not be in the top 20. And Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie each respectively received the class rankings of 2, 3, and 4. How awesome is that? God damnit, I have my work cut out for me. They are my academic rivals from now on! I mentally smirk.

This family is so awesome, and so fucking smart. Well they should be with all the time they have on their hands. I saw their wall of graduation caps. And I saw their photo album of graduation plus the high school diplomas.

It was decided that Alice herself would make sure the family waits until I graduate to start college, again. I had to laugh a little and almost teared up because they were so loyal to me. They would wait for me. Wow.

The situation at the moment was that they were deciding on a college to attend. So far they had attended only a few local colleges, nothing national or international. They were thinking something semi-prestigious in the North such as University of Washington School of Medicine, or Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences. We'll get to that road when we get to it.

At the moment, I was registering online for ACT's and SAT's. Yeah that important Junior year crap.

Esme had promised me a chocolate bar, hey what can I say, if I completed registering early.

I showed her the forms, and hit submit right in front of her, smirking as I slowly turned to face her as she sighed softly and nods in my direction. She pushes a normal sized chocolate bar towards me, carefully. And I pounce on it, immediately unwrapping the food of gods and savoring it bit, by delicious chocolately bit. This is orgasm food, you wouldn't believe.

And after stuffing it down my throat, I sigh happily, conveniently not missing the amused look on Esme's face as she shakes her head.

Yummy.

I take a deep breath, slightly shuddering and I thank Esme before turning to look at the computer again.

I was shopping online for technology, a happy smile on my face, with my credit card right beside me. EBay was having some good deals on it so far. So far I had bought a camcorder with picture taking options, and its accessories, including the stand.

I surfed the internet for several more hours, buying random things and reading other things. You know what would be an awesome idea?

To have a social network, not unlike My Space, but a more teenager friendly social network where people can stalk each other!

Well yeah, it basically is stalking when someone would read up on what someone else posted perhaps 10 hours ago, and put a picture with it to verify the fact that this person actually was doing what they said they were doing 10 hours ago, and yeah. Social Networking.

I signed off, shutting the computer and climbed the stairs to Edward's room. Bella went home a long time ago, so I know for sure that Edward's room would be empty.

Well… never mind that idea.

He was reading my book! Okay it was his book, but it was the book I was trying to finish.

Before I could really think about what I was doing, I let out a warrior yell and tackled him, or tried to tackle him. One moment I was running across the room, and jumping on his couch, and the next blink of an eye, I was restrained. With ONE arm.

Oh my god, how embarrassing was that! I grumbled under my breath while Edward laughed, STILL reading the book.

I saw that the page I was on was still bookmarked neatly, and I relaxed somewhat. He was about to pass me up actually…

My eyes glinted with mischievousness and I wiggle away from him and sit on his awesome couch chair. It was huge, fluffy, comfortable, and awesome.

My plan went into action when he laid out across the couch, one arm behind him to support his head, while the other expertly held the book in his face, and turned the page, flawlessly.

I stood up, walked towards the bookshelf, and almost passed the couch all the way when I warrior yelled, again, and jumped him, grabbing at the book while, squirming my way up his body.

I was just INCHES away when an arm wrapped around my torso and literally tossed me onto the chair.

My mouth was wide open, skin lightly flushed, and heart pounding as I landed across the room completely breathless from a squeal, staring back at him. It wasn't that far away, yet still… he tossed me across a coffee table, when he could have just thrown me on the coffee table.. Wait… okay, abort that thought process before it takes a turn for the worst.

I shake my head, groaning loudly before, hunching over, arms across my knees and watching him for the next opening.

Edward- 2; me- Nada.

The war just began. I smirk as I turn my attention to something else.

Here's the setting. Me: Laying across Edward's couch, with my legs draped across his. Reading.

Edward: Asking questions.

Me: I have to put the book down.

"Don't you have a home to go to at night? Should you even be here right now? You never go home. Don't your parents ever worry about where you are? They're going to think that we kidnapped you, as much time you spend over here."

And he kept going on and on and on. It was simply out of character for him to act this way until I shoved my hand over his cold lips, and he raises an eyebrow at me, sideways.

"Shut up. You're being annoying now."

His musical laugh filters through my hand, and I pull it away scowling at him.

I think over his questions, silently putting them order in my head. " Of course I go home sometimes, it's either that my parents are home but fucking like rabbits, or they aren't home at all. I do spend time with them, call and talk to them, but 90% of the time they are not home or doing the nasty. Plus hanging out with you, my best friend, is preferable to sleeping in an empty house with my brother gone to college." I rub knuckles across his cheek, and he snorts. I just grin.

"You know it's annoying not knowing what you're thinking. Even if it is just a little bit." He looks away, a frown furrowing his beautiful face. " Which still puzzles me as to how Bella's mind is a little bit permeable, while yours is just completely blocked. Mentally, your mind has a wall of concrete…." He trails off, and then he brings his sharp gaze to mine. "Maybe if I have physical contact ….."

His long fingers, surround my face and I couldn't help but lean into his touch, my heart skipping a beat. I felt and saw his face close in on mine, and my eyelids flutter slowly, my eyes honing in on his nice lips. My eyes close in as I inhale slowly, trying to calm my heartbeat.

My mind sends a shock through my body as I stun myself into comprehension. I clear my throat, breath stuttering as I try to speak. I clear my throat faintly. "I..I b. th..that se..seducing .me w..won't w.w.."

He removes his hands from me, and smirks. "Hmm, comes with the territory… " And he goes back to reading his book, leaving me hyperventilating and gasping for breath against the couch.

Edward- 3, Me- 0

I was very light-headed, and had closed my eyes, still very shaken.

And then Alice storms into the room, giving Edward a 'look' and she twitters happily. "What the hell did you do to her? Damnit, Edward I need her in working order! We're going to buy Bella a car for her birthday! And it won't be buying, cause technically, it's an auction, so it passes Bella's 'I don't want anything' test!" She eyes me up and down and smirks. "You're going to wear that 'dress' and I have the perfect heels for you too. Unfortunately, since you're so damn tall, a good thing babe, you'd be the same height as Edward when we got through with you….so…we'll switch dates! You'd go with Jasper, and I with Edward!" She claps excitedly, convinced she had a fool proof plan.

I raise a hand. "What if I said I didn't know how to walk in heels while under the influence?" My eyes drift towards Edward, and I felt rather then saw the smirk on his face as he continued reading.

Alice glares at Edward, then at me. "Don't worry. That won't happen!" She suddenly laughs brightly and dances out. "You have two hours to get ready! I expect you in my room in ten minutes!" She calls out.

I give Edward the most scared look as I could and whisper. "Hide me." And I throw myself into his lap, curling up and molding my body to his, my face into the crook of his cold, hard neck, clinging to him.

I heard him cease his breathing, and I smile slyly, as I nuzzle his neck, very much so wanting to actually drag my teeth against his neck.

However, before I could do so, I was yanked backwards by a grinning Rosalie and literally tossed over her shoulder.

" Enough with seducing each other, Alice wants to start now and sent me to break up the love birds." She shakes her head and gives Edward a penetrating stare, as if communicating before slapping my ass, and hauling me out of his room.

Edward-3, Me-1 Yay! I'm catching up.

He lets out a loud laugh, as we exit, and I had to stop myself from flushing very hotly, my ears were burning up blushing.

She opens the door the second we leave Edward's room and suddenly, I find myself in her room, door firmly shut, and Rosalie and Alice staring at me with matching looks of amusement.

"Aly and Eddy, sitting in a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G. ."

I had thrown my arms over my ears shrieking for that song to stop as Rosalie and Alice burst out laughing before being tugged to the bathroom.

I was officially scarred for life with that song.

Surprisingly, Rosalie was laughing and in the room. In fact, she was pulling a shitload of make up and nail polish, and girly stuff from a huge suitcase of stuff, and I gulp, only to be pulled into the bathroom.

Okay. It wasn't too bad. I admit. They had washed my dreads, and as you know dreads have to be tightened after they're washed, and Alice was amazing with her quick little hands. It only took her fifteen minutes to tighten my entire head of dreads. I took a shower, and was given one of Emmett's shirts to get all gussied up in. The make up I did, with the careful supervision of both the girls. I refused foundation and blush, yet I did go with a little stripe of eye shadow, rubbed in, and a tiny layer of eye liner, and then a light application of mascara. The eye shadow was a light brown, to contrast with my dark brown eyes, and I was given a new tube of lip gloss that made my lips look extra-kissable and shiny.

And then, they had to go and sprinkle some skin-friendly body glitter on my face, neck, chest, and legs. I made a dark comment that I looked like them, only out of the sun, and they both cracked up. It still took me a while to get use to the friendly Rosalie.

And they slipped me into the dress carefully, zipping up and tucking parts of it, and stuff. You know, I really hated all of this attention. I felt so babied.

And for the final touch, Alice brought me these dangerously high looking heels, about three and a half inch, maybe even four inch tall silver heels, that looked like the heel version of the flats I wore for Prom.

I slipped those on, and immediately strode out of the room, escaping they're awed gazes, and hiding in the bathroom, for the next ten minutes that it took for everyone to get ready. I really envied them. I had to get Fashionista-ed. If that's a word… oh well. I just made it up then.

"ALYSON, COME ON, EVERYONE'S WAITING ON YOU!" I heard Alice scream through the house, and I huff angrily, stumping out the bathroom, and down the hall, my heels slightly sinking into the carpet, yet I kept perfect balance, cause I was angry. Or at least that's what I told myself.

Without pause, I glided down the stairs without holding onto the rails and stopped as all the guys' mouths dropped, including Carlisle's. Surprise.

"You look so beautiful darling!" Esme squealed, and hugged me as gently as she could while being excited..

I nodded, smiling sweetly. "Thank you…"

I nod to Rosalie and Alice, both baring gigantic smiles, and I turn and link arms with . . . Edward and all seven of us glide out of the house and into two cars. Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett all took Carlisle's Mercedes, and everyone else, Edward, Alice, Jasper, and I took Edward's Volvo.

Damn Volvo.

I guess I was left to the passenger's seat, seeing as how Jasper and Alice immediately gravitated towards the back seats, so I slide into the nice leather seat of The Volvo, and I settle myself in for a long ride, for we had to go to Seattle.

The immediate area was swarmed with lots of shiny, expensive cars, and black tuxedos, and dressed up and made up women.

When we got to the valet man, Carlisle took care of them and I stepped out of the car, long legs first. I knew how to work it, believe it. And I shut the door, walking around to stand near the others.

You don't know how a stare actually feels, unless Edward does it ( Edward's stare always had power in it, even if it was a glance that lasted a second, you fucking felt that) , until you know that more than three dozen pairs of eyes are on you and the group you're surrounded with.

If only, that just made us shine even more. Jasper offered me his arm, and I gratefully took it while all eight of us strode through the valet ropes, and into the elegant hotel, surrounded by the latest models of the top cars, ice sculptures, and lots of rich, filthy rich people.

It really made a girl feel special when people actually stopped talking and turned around to stare at you when you walk by. Females and males, everybody. Taken, single, married, divorced, separated. I felt stares of awe, jealousy, (Jasper certainly told me that I was getting more than my fair share of stares), lust, and everything.

It comes with the territory, I'm afraid. That thought reminded me of Edward's proclamation after that successful attempt to seduce me, fucking bastard.

When we got to our assigned table, the men pulled out the women's chairs and we all sat down. I was sat in between Edward and Jasper.

We all started to make small talk between ourselves, yet my eyes, and theirs were roaming the room, searching for anything that presented danger…to me? I guess so..otherwise they wouldn't have to.

I let a small smile out as I glanced around the room, and my eyes settle on a lovely little car. Beautiful, black, and small. A 2006 Edition Dodge Charger. Safe, and would survive almost any car accident.

I poke Edward and point at it, nodding my head. "She would love that…no matter how pissed off she would get."

I stand up and stride to the car, circling it, looking at it from all angles, and an attendant asks me politely, female.

"Would you like to place a bid on it, dear?" She was about 40, and looked absolutely stunning.

I smile politely, giving her a little curtsy and nod. "May I see the inside as well?"

"Of course, darling." She opens all four of the doors with a flourish and I carefully step over the velvet ropes and into the car on the driver's side to inspect every inch of the interior.

Oh man, this was a beauty. The interior was all leather, real, and a deep chocolate. The radio control was black and shiny, and matched the console, glove department, and the steering wheel.

"Very nice. I'd like to place a bid of one hundred fifty thousand, please." I heard Carlisle speak to the woman, and I see a long, large white hand, and I grab it, pulling myself out of the car and onto the other side of the ropes to Edward's side.

"That one's the one." I nod to Edward, and smirk. "Now there's going to be a Shiny Black Charger and a Shiny Silver Volvo."

Edward rolls his eyes, and all but drags me back to the table, where the auction takes place and thousands of dollars exchange hands and maybe even some phone numbers as well, I see.

By the time the damn thing was over, I was ready to kill someone with all the 'pleasant' greetings, and shaking hands, and then the occasional lusty look, which you are guaranteed I returned with an "I will kick your ass if you even so much as lift a finger towards my body", and then mostly jealous looks from men's lovers, girlfriends, and wives, which I of course had to return with an "I don't want him, I already 'have' someone", upon which I would then cling to Jasper's arm and engage in flirty conversation with him, and almost crack up with the fun I was having.

Actually, the auction was fun. I didn't have to stab my heel into someone's eye at all. It was a productive evening alright. But I didn't even get to drive Bella's gift back home…

Sneak peak:

My mouth drops open as time stops and I see Jasper's expression change to hunger. And I yank Bella by her nice shirt back some, getting ready to fucking run up those damn stairs.

And then I find myself flung against the glass table, with Bella on top of me, and I grunt as my back takes the blunt of the fall, and the glass apparently. Because as I shake, sniffling from the burning pain across my back. I could feel the blood ooze out of the several lacerations and before I get a chance to say I'm okay before all hell breaks lose.

I'm suddenly thrown against a cold, hard back and I'm ran out into the night, shuddering and yelping as the cold bites against my cuts.

"Wh..What's going on?"

It seems as if Carlisle was the one running so damn fast towards…somewhere.

"I don't know, Aly." He pauses, to stare at me, with dark eyes. Holy shit.

"

You're blood smells amazing."

Yeah this chapter had a Breathless feel to it too. Hope you enjoy.


End file.
